For individuals showing signs and symptoms of short bowel syndrome, doctors may conduct the following tests to confirm a diagnosis: 

• Blood tests
• Physical examinations
• Stool examination (fecal fat test)
• X-ray or CT scan of abdomen
• Endoscopy
• Colonoscopy  

Learn more about the treatment options available to reduce symptoms and effectively manage SBS-IF.

Nutritional Support

• Parenteral nutrition (PN): Liquid nutrition given through a catheter or needle inserted through a vein in the arm, groin, neck or chest.

• Enteral nutrition: Nutrition through a feeding tube placed in the stomach.

• Electrolyte solutions (orally or through IV)

• Vitamin and mineral supplements

• Special diets

Medications

There are recommended drugs to help manage symptoms of short bowel syndrome with intestinal failure. These medications can help reduce diarrhea, improve intestinal absorption after surgery, and help control stomach acid.

Here’s a list of medications that may help treat SBS-IF:

• H2 Blockers (or H2 Antagonists: These medicines, which are usually taken orally, reduce the amount of acid that is produced by the stomach in order to maintain a healthy amount of mucus in the barrier between the stomach acid and lining. Too much acid can result in an ulcer.

• Choleretic Agents: These promote bile production in the liver. Bile is a thick fluid that is needed to digest fats and absorb nutrients.

• Bile-salt Binders: Bile salts irritate the colon lining, causing it to secrete water, resulting in diarrhea. Bile-salt binders can trap these salts in feces to prevent the irritation of the intestinal lining, therefore decreasing the amount of salt in the GI tract. They can also bind to and stop certain vitamins from being absorbed by the body and causing diarrhea.

• Hypomotility Agents: These substances decrease the speed that food travels through the intestine, leading to more time for nutrient absorption.

• Growth Hormones and Teduglutide: Growth hormones aid in intestinal absorption of water, electrolytes, and nutrients, reducing the need for parenteral nutrition. Teduglutide is a medication given through injection. It uses glucagon-like peptide-2 (GLP-2) analogs to increase nutrient absorption in the intestinal tract.
  

Surgery

In some cases, surgery may be recommended for those with SBS-IF. Some of the surgery options include:

• Surgery to slow the passage of nutrients through the intestine.

• Procedure to lengthen the intestine.

• Intestinal transplant, which is a surgery to replace damaged small intestine with a healthy small intestine from a donor.