Is left-sided abdominal pain with ileostomy an emergency?

Question

Hi doctor,

I am a 29-year-old male with a weight of 138.9 lbs and a height of 5 feet 6 inches. I went for a pain in my side. It turned out to be an abscess and internal infection. They ended up doing an ileostomy. Recently I started to have some weird feeling in my left side on and off on the opposite side of ileostomy. It is not a serious pain but it does not feel right. I have a general feeling of uneasiness and I am unable to describe it exactly. But I have a weird ache throughout my body on and off. I had a blood test two months back and it showed high WBC. Nine years back, I had an ulcer that got ruptured. Then I was diagnosed with IBD or Crohn's disease. I contacted the office of the GI doctor. But he is not available to see me until next week.

Should I need to go to ER now?
Do I need a CT scan?
Is it safe to go to ER now with a mask?
Is there a way to speak to a doctor who can get me to do a CT scan or colonoscopy to see what is going on by avoiding ER?

Thank you very much for your time and care

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I understand your concern.

A patient with suspected Crohn's disease can have some discomfort due to a stricture or narrowing or inflammation in the bowel. If you do not have a fever, then a disturbance in the ileostomy can cause bleeding or distension in it. Otherwise, it is not an emergency condition to go to the emergency room.

You can wait to meet a gastroenterologist. But if your pain or discomfort increases, then you need to visit an emergency room immediately.

It is safe to go with proper precautions with a mask and gloves. In the meanwhile, kindly do these tests, which will help out in the urgency of this issue. Kindly do CBC (complete blood count) and CRP (C-reactive protein).

Kindly feel free to ask if you have any queries.

Thank you.