What is a perforated bowel?
A person with a perforated bowel has a hole in the wall of the stomach, small intestine, or large intestine. The perforated bowel allows food or stool to leak into the abdomen. The food or stool causes severe inflammation of the inside of the abdomen, called peritonitis. Causes of perforated bowel include abdominal injury, inflammatory bowel disease, peptic ulcer disease, colorectal cancer, and diverticulitis.

What are the symptoms of a perforated bowel?
Symptoms of a perforated bowel include severe abdominal pain, abdominal swelling, abdominal tenderness, nausea, vomiting, and fever.

How does the doctor treat a perforated bowel?
Treatment for a perforated bowel requires surgery to repair the hole in the stomach or intestine.