An enterocutaneous fistula (ECF) is an abnormal connection between the small or large bowel and the skin that allows the contents of the stomach or intestines to leak through an opening in the skin.
Causes The mnemonic HIS FRIENDS can be used to memorize characteristics which impede the closure of ECF.
H: High output I: IBD S: Short tract F: Foreign body R: Radiation I: Infection or Inflammatory bowel disease E: Epithelialization N: Neoplasm D: Distal obstruction S: Short tract (<2 cm)
Diagnosis
Classification Congenital types: tracheoesophageal, vitellointestinal duct, patent urachus, rectovaginal Acquired: trauma (postoperative), radiation, malignancy, infection
Two categories Low-output fistula: < 500 mL/day High-output fistula: > 500 mL/day
Three categories Low-output fistula: < 200 mL/day Moderate-output fistula: 200–500 mL/day High-output fistula: > 500 mL/day
Treatment The majority will close spontaneously within approximately 6 weeks. If it has not closed by 12 weeks, it is unlikely to do so and definitive surgery should be planned. The median time to definitive repair from fistula onset was 6 months (range 1 day to 28 months). The 6-month time course is commonly utilized by groups with significant experience treating fistulas, owing to the trend in encountering a less hostile abdomen than in the early phases. Some evidence also suggests that somatostatin can be an effective treatment with respect to reducing closure time and improving the spontaneous closure rate of enterocutaneous fistulas.
References
Metcalf C (1999). "Enterocutaneous fistulae". Journal of Wound Care. 8 (3): 141–142. doi:10.12968/jowc.1999.8.3.25854.