The key difference between dumping syndrome and refeeding syndrome is that dumping syndrome is a type of metabolic disorder that can occur after a surgery to remove all or part of the stomach while refeeding syndrome is a type of metabolic disorder that can occur during refeeding after a period of malnourishment.
Metabolism is the process the body uses to get energy from the food we eat. A metabolic disorder occurs when abnormal chemical reactions or other conditions in the body disrupt this process. Dumping syndrome and refeeding syndrome are two metabolic disorders that cause metabolic disturbances.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Dumping Syndrome
3. What is Refeeding Syndrome
4. Similarities – Dumping Syndrome and Refeeding Syndrome
5. Dumping Syndrome vs Refeeding Syndrome in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Dumping Syndrome vs Refeeding Syndrome
What is Dumping Syndrome?
Dumping syndrome is a type of metabolic disorder that can occur after a surgery to remove all or part of the stomach or after surgery to bypass the stomach to help lose weight. This medical condition is responsible for the stomach to empty its content too quickly into the intestine. In this condition, food, especially sugars, moves from the stomach into the small bowel too quickly. Dumping syndrome can also occur in people who have had esophageal surgery. Dumping syndrome is also known as rapid gastric emptying.
The signs and symptoms involved in this condition may include feeling bloated or too full after eating, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, diarrhoea, flushing, dizziness, light-headedness, and rapid heart rate. The signs of late dumping syndrome include sweating and weakness. Moreover, this condition can be diagnosed through medical history and evaluation, blood sugar test, and gastric emptying tests. Furthermore, treatment options for dumping syndrome may include medications such as anti-diarrheal drugs (octreotide), surgeries like reconstructing the pylorus, alternative medicine like pectin, guar gum, black psyllium, bond psyllium, and lifestyle and home remedies such as eating smaller meals and drinking 6 to 8 cups of fluid a day.
What is Refeeding Syndrome?
Refeeding syndrome is a type of metabolic disorder that can occur during refeeding after a period of malnourishment, which causes sudden shifts in the electrolytes that help the body metabolize food. The incidence of refeeding syndrome is difficult to determine as there is no standard definition. It can affect anyone. It typically follows a period of malnourishment, fasting, extreme dieting, famine, and starvation. Moreover, certain conditions like anorexia, alcohol use disorder, cancer, difficulty swallowing, and certain surgeries may also increase the risk of getting refeeding syndrome.
Refeeding syndrome symptoms may include fatigue, weakness, confusion, inability breath, high blood pressure, seizures, heart arrhythmias, heart failure, coma, and death. This condition can be diagnosed through medical history, clinical evaluation, analysis of blood biochemistry, and urine analysis. Furthermore, the treatments for refeeding syndrome include replacing electrolytes intravenously, replacing vitamins like thiamine, and slowing down the refeeding process.
What are the Similarities Between Dumping Syndrome and Refeeding Syndrome?
- Dumping syndrome and refeeding syndrome are two metabolic disorders.
- Both syndromes cause metabolic disturbances.
- These syndromes are connected to feeding.
- They may cause weakness.
- They are treatable conditions through supportive care.
What is the Difference Between Dumping Syndrome and Refeeding Syndrome?
Dumping syndrome is a type of metabolic disorder that can occur after a surgery to remove all or part of the stomach, causing the stomach to empty its content too quickly into the intestine, while refeeding syndrome is a type of metabolic disorder that can occur during refeeding after a period of malnourishment, causing sudden shifts in the electrolytes helping the body metabolize food. Thus, this is the key difference between dumping syndrome and refeeding syndrome. Furthermore, the causes of dumping syndrome include stomach surgeries such as gastrectomy, gastric bypass surgery, and esophageal surgery like esophagectomy. On the other hand, the causes of refeeding syndrome include malnourishment, fasting, extreme dieting, famine, starvation, anorexia, alcohol use disorder, cancer, difficulty swallowing, and certain surgeries.
The below infographic presents the differences between dumping syndrome and refeeding syndrome in tabular form for side by side comparison.
Summary – Dumping Syndrome vs Refeeding Syndrome
Dumping syndrome and refeeding syndrome are two metabolic conditions that cause metabolic disturbances. Dumping syndrome causes the stomach to empty its content too quickly into the intestine. Meanwhile, refeeding syndrome is a type of metabolic disorder that occurs during refeeding after a period of malnourishment. It causes sudden shifts in the electrolytes helping the body to metabolize food. So, this summarizes the difference between dumping syndrome and refeeding syndrome.
Reference:
1. “Dumping Syndrome: Treatment, Symptoms, Diagnosis & Causes.” Cleveland Clinic.
2. Vandergriendt, Carly. “Everything You Should Know about Refeeding Syndrome.” Healthline, Healthline Media, 6 Jan. 2020.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Adult Digestive System” By BruceBlaus – Own work (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia