Q With Crohn's, when should I go straight to the ER or hospital? I'm curious about warning signs.
A If you have a high fever (over 38.5°C) with severe abdominal pain, a rigid hard abdomen, heavy bloody stool, sudden swelling or pus around the anus, or vomiting with no passage of gas or stool at all, go to the ER immediately.
Detailed Answer
The following situations require immediate emergency evaluation: ① High fever (over 38.5°C) with severe abdominal pain — possible bowel perforation, abscess, or sepsis. ② Peritoneal irritation signs where the abdomen becomes board-like hard — suspected peritonitis. ③ Heavy bright-red bloody stool or black stool — severe bleeding. ④ Bowel obstruction symptoms with vomiting and no passage of gas or stool. ⑤ Perianal abscess where the area around the anus rapidly swells and discharges pus. ⑥ Sudden weight loss (over 5% within a month) with whole-body weakness. These signs warrant the ER or a university hospital gastroenterology department first, not a Korean medicine clinic.
Korean Medicine Clinic Perspective
Once the emergency is resolved and you enter a stable phase, Korean medicine treatment can continue for relapse prevention and intestinal recovery. Even without warning signs, if abdominal pain or diarrhea frequency suddenly increases, we recommend coming in early for a check.
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