Patient was educated on complications of peptic ulcer development as follows:
- Infection
- Chronically inflamed stomach and intestines offer poor immunity and are susceptible to frequent infections, thus complicating the case.
- Blood loss
- Peptic ulcers can often bleed secondary to extensive damage to the inner layers of the stomach and intestines.
- The blood loss can be prolonged and overtime, result in anemia.
- Patients often present with black stool, secondary to the partially digested blood in the stomach.
- Perforation of the intestines
- Extensive damage to the stomach and intestinal walls can occur due to the continued action of acid on the inflamed bowels, resulting in perforation.
- Gastric cancer
- Prolonged exposure of the inflamed inner gastric lining to the acid can cause changes in the cells that can trigger growth of a cancer.
