Race Against the Clock: Severe Acute Abdominal Pain With Disastrous Complications

Although a rare medical condition, gastric ischemia is a medical emergency and requires prompt recognition. Current literature review is scarce, with a primary focus on iatrogenic, surgical, and vascular etiologies. The cases discussed focus on hypoperfusion secondary to refractory shock as the etiology of gastric ischemia and, unfortunately, death. Our cases add to the current literature by highlighting an alternative, less common etiology, thus broadening a clinician's suspicion of gastric ischemia complications in critically ill patients.