Diagnosis and surgical treatment of toxic megacolon        QIU Hui-zhong, ZHOU Jiao-lin. Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100730, China
Corresponding author: QIU Hui-zhong, E-mail:qiuhzpumc@yahoo.com.cn
Abstract    Toxic megacolon is a life-threatening complication of bowel diseases including the inflammatory bowel diseases, bacterial enteritis, viral enteritis, etc. It frequently develops in patients afflicted with ulcerative colitis, mostly in the acute severe ulcerative colitis or during the acute attack of the chronic ulcerative colitis. Medications including opioids, anticholinergic agents, antidiarrheal agents, as well as some improperly applied medical interventions such as colonoscopy may induce this condition. Once the diagnosis is confirmed, the rescue therapy should be initiated immediately. In order to reduce surgical complication and to improve the surgical success rate, the policy of using the 3-step operation should be followed in treating critical ill patients with toxic megacolon.