Abstract
Background
Health information found on open access Internet platforms is often unscrutinized,
unreliable, and can lead to considerable morbidity for patients and their presentation
to the emergency department. Currently, home treatments for constipation and other
gastrointestinal ailments featuring the use of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) enemas are readily available.
Case Report
We present a case of a 48-year-old female with a history of fibroids who presented
to the emergency department with acute abdominal pain after self-administering a 3%
H2O2 enema, which she learned about on the Internet as a treatment for constipation. She
subsequently developed a severe colitis with evidence of pneumatosis and focal perforation.
Why Should an Emergency Physician Be Aware of This?
Although toxicity from oral ingestions of H2O2 is well described in the literature, there are few reports of the sequelae related
to rectal administration. Due to its significant morbidity and the public health concerns
related to this mechanism of toxicity, emergency physicians are at the frontlines
for diagnosing and properly managing these patients. This case report reviews the
patient’s presentation, findings, and management.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: May 16, 2019
Accepted:
April 4,
2019
Received in revised form:
April 4,
2019
Received:
February 11,
2019
Identification
Copyright
© 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
