Question

A young man met with a motorbike accident and had injuries to ileum and jejunum. Therefore the entire ileum and partial jejunum were resected. Which of the following would the patient suffer from

• A. Vitamin B₁₂ deficiency
• B. Atrophic gastriti
• C. Constipation
• D. None

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

The structures involved in the resection are the ileum and jejunum, which are parts of the small intestine. Understanding their functions is crucial in determining the patient's likely deficiencies or issues following resection:

• The ileum is the last part of the small intestine and plays a vital role in absorbing important nutrients, particularly vitamin B₁₂ and bile acids. Without the ileum, the body cannot efficiently absorb vitamin B₁₂, leading to a deficiency.
• The jejunum is mainly responsible for the absorption of carbohydrates, proteins, and some vitamins and minerals. Partial resection may result in decreased absorption of these nutrients, but is not as critical for vitamin B₁₂ as the ileum.

Given the resection of the entire ileum, which disrupts vitamin B₁₂ absorption, the patient is likely to suffer from Vitamin B₁₂ deficiency. This is because the terminal ileum is the specific site where vitamin B₁₂ is absorbed in the presence of intrinsic factor. The remaining options do not directly correlate with the specific consequences of such resection:

• Atrophic gastritis is unrelated to the ileum or jejunum but pertains to the stomach.
• Constipation is not a direct result of small intestinal resection, as it more commonly occurs with conditions involving the large intestine.
• None is incorrect as we have already identified a specific deficiency resulting from this surgery.

Thus, the logical conclusion is that the patient will suffer from vitamin B₁₂ deficiency due to the resection of the ileum.