[Intestinal ischemia--non-surgical approach].

Prognosis of acute mesenteric ischemia depends on the quality of the initial management of the treating physician. To reduce the still appallingly high mortality rate of this disease a rapid, invasive and aggressive diagnosis and treatment is necessary. However, early signs and symptoms of mesenteric ischemia as well as laboratory studies are nonspecific. Therefore, definitive diagnosis requires invasive testing using mesenteric angiography. Surgery should not be delayed in patients with peritoneal signs and suspected of having intestinal perforation or gangrene.