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Small Bowel Obstruction Updated 4/2010

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BASICS

  • Description
  • Epidemiology
  • Etiology

DIAGNOSIS

  • Signs and Symptoms
  • Tests
  • Differential Diagnosis

Treatment

  • Surgery
The following is an excerpt....
BASICS
Description
  • Small bowel obstruction is a blockage of the small intestine, which usually is caused by fibrous adhesions.
  • Small bowel obstruction also can occur when the small intestine becomes incarcerated in a hernia (e.g., inguinal, femoral, umbilical, or incisional).
  • Neoplasms, both originating from the small intestine as well as those extrinsic to the intestine, can cause intestinal obstruction.
Epidemiology
Incidence
  • The incidence of small bowel obstruction from postoperative adhesions is the highest after colectomy and hysterectomy, and is about 17/1,000 patients or 1.7%.
  • The majority of these episodes will occur within the first 8 years following operation:
    • –For those patients who present with obstruction from adhesions after surgical treatment of the adhesions, the probability of ...

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See Also
Images >
FIG. 1.5. A: Small bowel obstruction. Numerous dilated small bowel loops occupy the mid abdomen and have a stepladder configuration. Minimal air is seen in the rectum. B: Same patient as in A. The upright abdominal radiograph shows numerous dilated loops in the small bowel with differential fluid levels in one loop indicating mechanical bowel obstruction.Credit: From Fleisher GR, MD, Ludwig S, MD, Baskin MN, MD. Atlas of Pediatric Emergency Medicine. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2004.
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