Patient was educated on complications of peptic ulcer development as follows:
- Non-healing peptic ulcers
- Peptic ulcers could be resistant to healing in patients with noncompliance to smoking and alcohol cessation and noncompliance with the medication prescribed to promote healing.
- Recurrent exposure to H. pylori infection and poor dietary habits also contribute to poor healing of the ulcers.
- Unexplained weight loss
- Non-healing peptic ulcers can result in long term indigestion and contribute towards poor nutrient absorption, thereby, resulting in malnutrition and weight loss.
- Intestinal obstruction
- Chronically inflamed stomach and bowel walls are swollen and so, can obstruct the passage way, resulting in obstruction to the food moving from one part to the next, along the digestive tract.
- This can result in severe abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting and at times, can be an emergency.
