Ischemic colitis laboratory findings

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Hamid Qazi, MD, BSc [2]

Overview

There are no specific blood tests for ischemic colitis, but an elevated white blood cell count may be present. Other laboratory findings in ischemic colitis include electrolyte and renal abnormalities secondary to dehydration, metabolic acidosis, and lactate level may be elevated due to any tissue hypoxia.

The laboratory findings for ischemic colitis are as follows:^[1]^[2]^[3]

Mild leukocytosis with a left shift
Electrolyte and renal abnormalities secondary to dehydration
Metabolic acidosis may be present
Lactate level may be elevated due to any tissue hypoxia
- Sensitivity of 82% and a specificity of 87% in predicting early colonic ischemia.
The sensitivity of tests among 73 patients were:
- Elevated white blood cell count more than 15,000/mm³ in 20 patients (27%)
- The serum bicarbonate level was less than 24 mmol/L in 26 patients (36%)

↑ Sun, Mark; Maykel, Justin (2007). “Ischemic Colitis”. Clinics in Colon and Rectal Surgery. 20 (1): 005–012. doi:10.1055/s-2007-970194. ISSN 1531-0043.
↑ Huguier, Michel; Barrier, Alain; Boelle, Pierre Y.; Houry, Sydney; Lacaine, Francois (2006). “Ischemic colitis”. The American Journal of Surgery. 192 (5): 679–684. doi:10.1016/j.amjsurg.2005.09.018. ISSN 0002-9610.
↑ Murray MJ, Gonze MD, Nowak LR, Cobb CF (1994). “Serum D(-)-lactate levels as an aid to diagnosing acute intestinal ischemia”. Am J Surg. 167 (6): 575–8. PMID 8209931.