Chronic inflammatory bowel disease: increase in the number of patients

"It is estimated that there would be 6 million people in the world with inflammatory bowel disease – IBD In Argentina, given the diversity and multiplicity of health systems, it is very It is difficult to calculate the prevalence, but it is badumed that each 100,000 population could reach between 75 and 100 people, which would give a total of between 30,000 and 100,000 inhabitants, 40,000 patients, but this must be corroborated. " he declared. Alicia Sambuelli (MN 53328), gastroenterologist, coordinator of the Working Group on Inflammatory Bowel Diseases of the Hospital of Gastroenterology & # 39; Dr. Carlos Bonorino Udaondo.

"All autoimmune diseases increase disproportionately.Beyond the fact that there may be an underdiagnosis before, IBD show a real increase.In the hospital, the number of patients has increased significantly, with an impressive upward curve from the year 2000, which shows that our health needs are not being met.It can be said that the cases were duplicated, at least in our service, but even the dedicated centers to the question have multiplied, "he added. Sambuelli.

Although there is a subgroup that starts with the disease after 60 or 65 years, these are diseases that affect mainly young people, between the second, third and fourth decade of life, in full training phase , work and development. the family

According to the specialist, ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease are the two extremes of the spectrum. Ulcerative colitis affects the large intestine (colon) from its lower part (recto), extending upwards over a continuous and variable length. Crohn's disease can affect one or more parts of the small intestine, the colon (large intestine, compromised rectum in half of the cases) and rarely other parts of the digestive tract. Healthy areas and injured areas can be interspersed.

In the medical community, the focus is on need support much needed by those patients who see greatly affected their quality of life because of symptoms such as diarrhea, weight loss, fatigue, fever or moderate fever, rectal bleeding, abdominal pain, intestinal obstruction and fistulas (abnormal communications between various loops of the intestine between them and / or with other organs such as the skin, for example: wall of the abdomen, urinary system, bad tract or peribad region) presenting with either drainage of intestinal fluid or formation of abscess and / or in case of bad lesions, possible fissures.

It may also exhibit autoimmune manifestations outside the tract gastrointestinal, as in the joints (arthritis or pain), various cutaneous lesions, ocular (uveitis, iritis), hepatic, thromboembolic and several others. These diseases cause an increase in the number of hospitalizations, surgical operations and cases of disability, as well as the need for diagnostic studies and controls for follow-up. Many complications can be prevented or reversed with proper treatment and control.

From a non-profit badociation: Argentine Group of Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis (GADECCU), chaired by the doctor, the goal is to improve the quality of life of these patients .