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At least 343 records · Page 19Linked to original sources

Intestinal obstruction from adhesions--how big is the problem?

Apart from one post-mortem study, the incidence of adhesions following laparotomy has not been well documented. 1. In a prospective analysis of 210 patients undergoing a laparotomy, who had previously had one or more abdominal operations, we found that 93% had intra-abdominal adhesions that were a result of their previous surgery. This compared with 115 first-time laparotomies in which 10.4% had adhesions. 2. Over a 25-year period, 261 of 28 297 adult general surgical admissions were for intestinal obstruction from adhesions (0.9%). Of 4502 laparotomies, 148 were for adhesive obstruction (3.3%). 3. Over a 13-year period all laparotomies were followed up for an average of 14.5 months (range 0-91 months). From these 2708 laparotomies, 26 developed intestinal obstruction due to postoperative adhesions within 1 year of surgery (1%). Fourteen did so within 1 month of surgery (0.5%). 4. The majority of the operations producing intestinal obstruction were lower abdominal, principally involving the colon. The volume of general surgical work from adhesions is large and the incidence of early intestinal obstruction is high.

Abdomen↗

[Naso-intestinal endoscopic intubation in the complex treatment of postoperative intestinal obstruction].

The long-tube decompression was used for treatment of 54 selected patients with diagnosis of early postoperative intestinal obstruction. For this purpose a silicon double-lumen wire-guided tube has been endoscopically introduced into the proximal portion of the small intestine. In 40 cases continuous decompression of the small bowel brought about a successful resolution of intestinal obstruction by nonoperative therapy. Failure of the conservative treatment within the first 48 hours after intubation has led to operation in 14 cases. Six patients died in this series (4 patients died of multiple organ failure, 2--of thromboembolism). The study has shown that the method can be successfully used.

Abdomen, Acute↗

Femoral hernia: intestinal obstruction is an unrecognized source of morbidity and mortality.

A total of 180 consecutive femoral hernia repairs, consisting of 100 emergency and 80 elective admissions between January 1979 and December 1986, were reviewed. Morbidity was greater in the emergency than in the elective group (P < 0.01) and was significantly related to intestinal obstruction (P < 0.001), a feature not previously highlighted. Intestinal obstruction also had an important association with mortality, which was confined to patients undergoing emergency surgery. Patients with intestinal obstruction are a high-risk group and require careful perioperative management. Wound infection predisposed to recurrence of femoral hernia (P < 0.01). Repair of recurrent hernia in patients treated electively was associated with an increased incidence of chest infection (P < 0.001). Prophylactic measures, including antibiotics, may help to reduce recurrence and its associated morbidity. Patients referred with an inguinal lump or hernia, as opposed to a femoral hernia, had a later outpatient appointment and consequently a later operation date (P < 0.02). All elderly patients referred with any groin lump should receive an early outpatient appointment.

Aged↗

[Urachal cyst: an unusual cause of intestinal obstruction].

Contribution of one case of urachal cyst in a patient initially diagnosed with intestinal obstruction due to a probable colon-sigma neoplasia. The patient underwent discharge colostomy after finding an extension of the likely tumour to abdominal wall, bladder and right ureter. Later, the patient was reassessed and the CT showed a mass in the bladder's anterior edge with disclosure of purulent material and inflammatory cytology through the PAAF. The treatment performed was partial cystectomy, closure of colostomy and rectum-sigma re-anastomosis. Histological diagnosis was urachal cyst, abscess and pyogenic membranes, with no evidence of tumoral tissue. The idiosyncrasy of this urachal cyst is the simulation of an intestinal obstructive process of tumoral origin. Differential diagnosis in these intestinal processes rarely includes urachal cyst.

Abscess↗

[Acute intestinal obstructions in adults: quantified semiology (signs and their value) and surgical treatment].

The prevalence of signs and symptoms of acute intestinal obstruction in the adult was studied in a prospective study of 600 cases extracted from a data base on acute abdomen in 7,000 patients. This study of prevalence allows a precise definition of intestinal obstruction syndrome and to differentiate two types of presentations according to the site of obstruction on the small bowel or the colon. However, it is more difficult to differentiate simple bowel obturation from vascular strangulation. Surgical treatment depends mainly on the cause of obstruction.

Acute Disease↗

Factors influencing the development of small intestinal obstruction following total gastrectomy for gastric cancer: the impact of reconstructive route in the Roux-en-Y procedure.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The factors influencing the development of small intestinal obstruction following gastric surgery are controversial. METHODOLOGY: Univariate and multivariate analyses were carried out on data from 48 patients with gastric cancer who underwent total gastrectomy and Roux-en-Y reconstruction for a potential cure. RESULTS: Of these 48 patients, 11 (22.9%) presented with mechanical obstruction in the small intestine postoperatively. There were no statistically significant differences with regard to age, sex, and the presenting pathology. The development of obstruction was not related to a longer operation time, a greater estimated blood loss during surgery, an extensive lymph node dissection and a combined resection of adjacent organs. The probability that the antecolic anastomosis would cause obstruction was significant when compared with findings in case of the retrocolic anastomosis (P < 0.05). In the multivariate logistic regression analysis, the significant risk factors related to the development of small intestinal obstruction proved to be reconstructive route of jejunal loop. CONCLUSIONS: In potentially curative patients undergoing total gastrectomy, retrocolic anastomosis should be attempted to prevent the development of postoperative intestinal obstruction.

Aged↗

Incidence of intestinal obstruction in children infected with Ascaris lumbricoides.

The most serious consequences of infection with the large roundworm, Ascaris lumbricoides, are complications requiring surgical intervention, particularly intestinal obstruction caused by a bolus of worms. A study was conducted to estimate the incidence of this complication among infected children in an area of the southeastern United States where ascariasis is endemic. A chart review at three rural Louisiana public hospitals revealed that 21 patients had been hospitalized with intestinal obstruction secondary to ascariasis over a 3-year period. The prevalence of ascariasis in three parishes (counties) served by these hospitals was calculated from the results of 2,360 stool examinations performed by the State Health Department and one hospital laboratory. The prevalence of ascariasis in 1- to 5-year-old children was similar to that in 6- to 12-year-olds and ranged from 8% to 28% in the three parishes. Prevalence rates were three times higher for blacks than for whites. It was found that most cases of intestinal obstruction occur in children in the 1- to 5-year age group and that this incidence approximates two such complications per 1,000 infected children per year.

Adolescent↗

[Disorder of regional mesenteric circulation as a cause of functional intestinal obstruction].

It is shown experimentally that an impaired mesenterial blood circulation is of primary importance for development of dynamic intestinal obstruction, that is in contrast with the existing opinion on the primary importance of disorders in the bowel motility. The data obtained were utilized to explain the mechanisms of a stimulating effect of different procedures in combating against dynamic intestinal obstruction, namely an elimination of the suppressive sympathetic effect on abdominal vessels and an increase of the volume blood flow.

Animals↗

Mechanic intestinal obstruction--a possible presentation of perforated appendicitis.

A 61-year-old man presented with diffuse abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting and fever. On the initial diagnosis of gastroenteritis the patient received the antibiotic ofloxacine for one week. On admission plain abdominal radiograph suggested a mechanic intestinal obstruction. In computed tomography a conglomerate tumor in the ileocecal region was seen and the patient underwent laparotomy. The conglomerate tumor was mobilized and an abscess opened, which was caused by a perforated appendicitis. After the operation the patient improved immediately and had an uneventful postoperative course. He was released and did not suffer from gastrointestinal symptoms the following 16 months of follow-up. The present case shall set forth that perforated appendicitis can clinically present as intestinal obstruction. Although a rare complication, perforated appendicitis should therefore even be considered in cases of mechanic intestinal obstruction of unknown cause.

Abscess↗

Enhanced interferon-gamma production and bacterial clearance in the liver of splenectomized mice in the models of Escherichia coli injection or intestinal obstruction.

Although several studies have reported that splenectomy increases susceptibility to bacterial infections, other reports have indicated that splenectomy does not induce such susceptibility. To clarify this discrepancy, we studied the effects of splenectomy in the models of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or Escherichia coli challenge and intestinal obstruction, focusing on cytokine production and bacterial clearance in the liver. Using C57BL/6 mice at 4 weeks after splenectomy or a sham operation, either LPS or E. coli was injected or an intestinal obstruction was made to examine the mortality, serum cytokine levels, cytokine production of the liver mononuclear cells (MNCs), and bacterial clearance in the liver. As a result, no differences were observed in survival rates after LPS or E. coli challenge between the mice with and without splenectomy. However, in a model of intestinal obstruction, splenectomized mice survived significantly longer than the sham-operated mice. Liver MNCs from splenectomized mice produced a significantly larger amount of interferon-gamma compared with those from sham-operated mice. Furthermore, bacterial counts in the liver at 2 h after E. coli injection and at 24 h after intestinal obstruction were significantly decreased in splenectomized mice compared with sham-operated mice. In conclusion, splenectomy does not impair host defense against bacteria infection provided that recovery is sufficient to allow compensatory processes in the liver to occur.

Animals↗

Closed-loop and strangulating intestinal obstruction: CT signs.

In 19 patients with closed-loop intestinal obstruction, including 16 patients with strangulating obstruction, the findings at examination with computed tomography (CT) were retrospectively correlated with the surgical and pathologic findings and evaluated by two radiologists. Signs of closed-loop obstruction, present in 15 patients, were associated with the configuration of the incarcerated loop of small bowel, abnormalities detected at the site of obstruction, or both. These abnormalities were the following: a U-shaped, distended, fluid-filled bowel loop; the whirl sign; the beak sign; a triangular loop; two adjacent collapsed loops of bowel at the site of obstruction; or all of these. CT signs of strangulation, seen in 10 of the 16 patients with ischemic or infarcted bowel, were associated with the appearance of the bowel wall (thickening, high attenuation, and the target sign), abnormalities in the attached mesentery, or both. In mechanical obstruction of the small bowel, detection of ischemic changes in the bowel wall or mesentery with CT indicates strangulation. Absence of CT findings of ischemia or infarction does not rule out strangulation.

Adult↗

Secondary effects of prolonged intestinal obstruction on the enteric nervous system in the rat.

Motility disturbances following prolonged intestinal obstruction have been attributed to secondary effects. This study aimed to demonstrate the effects of incomplete obstruction on the enteric nervous system (ENS) of a rat model. Surgical placement of a nonstrangulating ligature encircling the distal bowel was performed in 41 freshly weaned rats. Anesthetic protocol included Ketamine, ether, or Xylazine (an alpha 2-adrenergic agonist). Histological evaluation was by ganglion cell morphology, histochemical staining for acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and tyrosine hydroxylase (TOH) immunocytochemistry. Forty-one freshly weaned LE rats were divided into controls (8), sham procedures (8), intestinal obstruction (16), and a group of rats with colonic biopsy performed prior to and following experimental obstruction (9). The rats were sacrificed at periods varying between 14 and 45 days post experimental obstruction (median survival, 27 days). Histological changes included elongation of ganglion cells and a decrease in the number per 5-mm slide in obstructed animals. No other obstruction specific differences were detected. A significant (P < .01) increase in AChE in the submucous plexus was recorded in Xylazine-anesthetized animals. No obstruction-specific effects could be demonstrated in the ENS, suggesting that prolonged obstruction without ischemia does not result in any significant alterations in the ENS. Pharmacological stimulation of the alpha 2-adrenergic receptor appeared to result in an increase in AChE. This mechanism may help to explain a possible role for the adrenergic system in the increased AChE levels in affected bowel in patients with Hirschsprung's disease.

Acetylcholinesterase↗

A fluid-filled condom causing intestinal obstruction: nonsurgical therapy of an ileus by ultrasound-guided transabdominal tapping.

Ingested foreign bodies are rare causes of intestinal obstruction in the adult. Condoms, if swallowed, are usually filled with drugs and found in body packers as a vehicle for drug smuggling. We report the case of 31-year-old male who presented with symptoms and signs of intestinal obstruction. He had swallowed a fluid-filled condom the day before. Ultrasonography of the abdomen revealed a fluid-filled foreign body within the small bowel. Due to radiological signs of an ileus and due to the fact that the patient's symptoms did not resolve after spasmolytic therapy the condom was tapped transcutaneously under ultrasonographical guidance. This procedure immediately relieved his symptoms. The further course was uneventful.

Abdominal Pain↗

Intestinal obstruction in the newborn with congenital syphilis.

Four newborn patients with congenital syphilis and intestinal obstruction are discussed in this report. In three cases, the obstruction was due to inspissated meconium, simulating the features of meconium ileus in one, meconium plug in the second, and associated with perforation of the terminal ileum in the third. An exocrine pancreatic insufficiency and a motility disturbance of the intestine due to syphilitic infection during fetal life could be the probable etiologic factor. The fourth patient had multiple ileal stenoses. Ischemia due to the prenatal syphilitic arteritis of the bowel wall can be responsible for this pathology. Attention is drawn to the association between congenital syphilis and neonatal intestinal obstruction.

Female↗

[Vascular complications in intestinal obstructions. The role of computed tomography].

INTRODUCTION: We investigated CT capabilities in showing vascular complications (ischemia, infarction) secondary to intestinal obstruction. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: 32 patients with small bowel obstruction, subdivided in two groups, were examined with CT. The first group consisted of 12 patients with small bowel obstruction complicated by ischemic injury. It was due to loop strangulation in 10 cases and loop distension secondary to colon carcinoma in 2 cases. At surgery the loop strangulation was caused by adhesions in 9 cases and by jejunal hernia in 1 case. Vascular complications were segmentary small bowel infarction in 7 cases, colonic infarction in 2 cases and ischemia, which was resolved after loop debridement, in 3 cases. The second group consisted of 20 patients with intestinal occlusion due to adhesions complicated by a closed loop in 4 cases. All patients were examined with(out) i.v. contrast agent administration. Filling of the intestinal loops by oral contrast agent was never performed. RESULTS: CT identified the vascular injury secondary to intestinal obstruction in 11/12 patients (91%). In one case it was not possible to diagnose mild ischemia, which was found of surgery. CT findings were: loops distention in all the cases; wall thickening in 11 cases with intramural gas in 8 cases and slight contrast enhancement in 1 case; ascites in 2 cases; mesenteric edema in 9 cases; gas at the mesenteric root in 1 case. In the control group, small bowel obstruction was diagnosed with CT in all cases based on the presence of distended loops up to the occlusion site. Parietal alterations above the lesion were never found. CONCLUSION: CT is a sensitive tool for diagnosing small bowel obstruction and for assessing the site and cause of obstruction. CT plays a pivotal diagnostic role in vascular complications, giving very important indications for a correct treatment.

Humans↗

[Causes of intestinal obstruction].

There were 468 patients (58% females and 42% males) operated for mechanical bowel obstruction over the period of 13 years, i.e. between 1987 and 1999 included into this study. In 82.3% of these patients the obstruction involved the small intestine; in this group 5.1% had multi-level obstruction related to massive carcinomatous dissemination. The remaining 17.7% of the patients had colonic obstruction. The most common cause of small bowel obstruction was intestinal strangulation (N = 352). Two thirds of those patients had strangulated hernias, and one-third--obstruction due to adhesions. In the former group, the majority of subjects suffered from femoral hernia incarceration, while inguinal hernia strangulation was somewhat less common. In 9 patients we observed rare small bowel obstruction caused by a gallstone. Of 83 patients with large intestine obstruction, in 80 (96.4%) obstruction was caused by a primary tumor. In the presented material we observed a higher rate of strangulated hernlas then the rate of obstruction due to adhesion, which is opposite to a typical pattern of developed countries. Most likely this difference results from a lower number of elective hernioplasty performed in Poland then in the USA and Western Europe.

Aged↗

Ileus and intestinal obstruction--ultrasonographic findings as a guideline to therapy.

Between September 1, 1982 and January 31, 1986, a study was undertaken in a total of 111 patients to assess the efficacy of ultrasonography in diagnosing intestinal obstruction and ileus. In 109 cases (98%), ultrasonography provided the correct diagnosis. In one case, obstruction was correctly suspected. In another case, the diagnosis was false negative. In 51 cases (46%), ultrasonography yielded the causative diagnosis. Ultrasonography was especially rewarding in the diagnosis of X-ray-negative intestinal obstruction, very high obstruction, clinically concealed incarcerated femoral hernias and in the differentiation of intestinal obstruction and ileus in the postoperative course. Ultrasonographic differential diagnosis was a reliable guideline for adequate treatment modalities in pertinent cases, thus contributing to therapeutic success.

Adolescent↗