Bowel obstruction is a mechanical blockage of the intestines, preventing the normal transit of the products of digestion. It can occur at any level in the digestive tract, and is a medical emergency. Although many cases are not treated surgically, it is a surgical problem. The International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (commonly known by the abbreviation ICD) is a detailed description of known diseases and injuries. ... The following codes are used with International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems. ... // K00-K93 - Diseases of the digestive system (K00-K14) Diseases of oral cavity, salivary glands and jaws (K00) Disorders of tooth development and eruption (K01) Embedded and impacted teeth (K02) Dental caries (K03) Other diseases of hard tissues of teeth (K04) Diseases of pulp and periapical tissues (K040) Pulpitis (K05... The International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (commonly known by the abbreviation ICD) is a detailed description of known diseases and injuries. ... The following is a list of codes for International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems. ... The Diseases Database is a free website that provides information about the relationships between medical conditions, symptoms, and medications. ... MedlinePlus (medlineplus. ... For the Physics term GUT, please refer to Grand unification theory The gastrointestinal or digestive tract, also referred to as the GI tract or the alimentary canal or the gut, is the system of organs within multicellular animals which takes in food, digests it to extract energy and nutrients, and... A medical emergency is an injury or illness that poses an immediate threat to a persons health or life which requires help from a doctor or hospital. ... Intraoperative X-Ray of a Humerus fixated by Kirschner wires Surgery (from the Greek meaning hand work) is the medical specialty that treats diseases or injuries by operative manual and instrumental treatment. ...

Causes

Small bowel obstruction

Causes of small bowel obstruction include: Diagram showing the small intestine In biology the small intestine is the part of the gastrointestinal tract between the stomach and the large intestine (colon). ...

• Adhesions from previous abdominal surgery
• Hernias containing bowel
• Neoplasms, benign or malignant
• Inflammatory bowel disease causing adhesions or inflammatory strictures
• Intussusception in children
• Volvulus
• Malrotation in infants
• Ischaemic strictures
• Foreign bodies (e.g. gallstones in gallstone ileus, swallowed objects)
• Intestinal atresia

An adhesion is a fibrous band of scar tissue that binds together normally separate anatomical structures. ... }} A hernia is a protrusion of a tissue, structure, or part of an organ through the muscular tissue or the membrane by which it is normally contained (definition from MeSH). ... Neoplasia (literally: new growth) is abnormal, disorganized growth in a tissue or organ, usually forming a distinct mass. ... In medicine, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a group of inflammatory conditions of the large intestine and, in some cases, the small intestine. ... An intussusception is a situation in which a part of the intestine has prolapsed into another section of intestine, similar to the way in which the parts of a collapsible telescope slide into one another. ... A volvulus is a loop of the bowel whose nose has twisted on itself. ... In medicine, ischemia (Greek ισχαιμία, isch- is restriction, hema or haema is blood) is a restriction in blood supply, generally due to factors in the blood vessels, with resultant damage or dysfunction of tissue. ... Endoscopy image of gastric foreign body (toothbrush). ... In medicine, gallstones (choleliths) are crystalline bodies formed within the body by accretion or concretion of normal or abnormal bile components. ... Ileus refers to loss of intestinal peristalsis. ... Intestinal atresia is a malformation where the there is a narrowing or absence of a portion of the intestine. ...

Large bowel obstruction

Causes of large bowel obstruction include: Grays Fig. ...

• Neoplasms
• Hernias
• Inflammatory bowel disease
• Sigmoid or caecal volvulus
• Faecal impaction
• Colon atresia

Neoplasia (literally: new growth) is abnormal, disorganized growth in a tissue or organ, usually forming a distinct mass. ... }} A hernia is a protrusion of a tissue, structure, or part of an organ through the muscular tissue or the membrane by which it is normally contained (definition from MeSH). ... In medicine, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a group of inflammatory conditions of the large intestine and, in some cases, the small intestine. ... A volvulus is a loop of the bowel whose nose has twisted on itself. ... Constipation or irregularity, is a condition of the digestive system where a person (or animal) experiences hard feces that are difficult to eliminate; it may be extremely painful, and in severe cases (fecal impaction) lead to symptoms of bowel obstruction. ... Intestinal atresia is a malformation where the there is a narrowing or absence of a portion of the intestine. ...

Differential diagnosis

Differential diagnoses of bowel obstruction include: In medicine, differential diagnosis (sometimes abbreviated DDx or ΔΔ) is the systematic method physicians use to identify the disease causing a patients symptoms. ...

• Ileus
• Pseudo-obstruction or Ogilvie's syndrome
• Intra-abdominal sepsis
• Pneumonia or other systemic illness.

Ileus refers to limited or absent intestinal passage. ... Intestinal pseudoobstruction is the decreased ability of the intestines to push food through, and often causes dilation of various parts of the bowel. ... Ogilvie syndrome is the acute pseudoobstruction and dilation of the colon in the absence of any mechanical obstruction in severely ill patients. ... Sepsis (in Greek Σήψις, putrefaction) is a serious medical condition, resulting from the immune response to a severe infection. ... Pneumonia is an illness of the lungs and respiratory system in which the alveoli (microscopic air-filled sacs of the lung responsible for absorbing oxygen from the atmosphere) become inflamed and flooded with fluid. ...

Signs, symptoms and causes

Depending on the level of obstruction, bowel obstruction can present with abdominal pain, abdominal distension, vomiting, fecal vomiting, and constipation. Abdominal pain can be one of the symptoms associated with transient disorders or serious disease. ... Abdominal distension (or Distended abdomen) can be a sign of many other conditions, including: diverticulitis lactose intolerance obstructed bowel premenstrual syndrome pregnancy weight gain See also Gastric distension Bloating External links University of Maryland MedlinePlus/NIH Category: ... Vomiting (or emesis) is the forceful expulsion of the contents of ones stomach through the mouth. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Constipation or irregularity, is a condition of the digestive system where a person (or animal) experiences hard feces that are difficult to eliminate; it may be extremely painful, and in severe cases (fecal impaction) lead to symptoms of bowel obstruction. ...

Obstruction may be due to causes within the bowel lumen, within the wall of the bowel, or external to the bowel (such as compression, entrapment or volvulus). A volvulus is a loop of the bowel whose nose has twisted on itself. ...

Bowel obstruction may be complicated by dehydration and electrolyte abnormalities due to vomiting; respiratory compromise from pressure on the diaphragm by a distended abdomen, or aspiration of vomitus; bowel ischaemia or perforation from prolonged distension or pressure from a foreign body. Dehydration (hypohydration) is the removal of water (hydor in ancient Greek) from an object. ... In physiology, an electrolyte disturbance is an abnormal change in the levels of electrolytes in the body, usually constituting a medical emergency. ... In the anatomy of mammals, the diaphragm is a shelf of muscle extending across the bottom of the ribcage. ... In medicine, aspiration is the entry of secretions or foreign material into the trachea and lungs. ... In medicine, ischemia (Greek ισχαιμία, isch- is restriction, hema or haema is blood) is a restriction in blood supply, generally due to factors in the blood vessels, with resultant damage or dysfunction of tissue. ...

In small bowel obstruction the pain tends to be colicky (cramping and intermittent) in nature, with spasms lasting a few minutes. The pain tends to be central and mid-abdominal. Vomiting occurs before constipation.

In large bowel obstruction the pain is felt lower in the abdomen and the spasms last longer. Constipation occurs earlier and vomiting may be less prominent. Proximal obstruction of the large bowel may present as small bowel obstruction.

Diagnosis

The main diagnostic tools are blood tests, X-rays of the abdomen, CT scanning and/or ultrasound. If a mass is identified, biopsy may determine the nature of the mass. Blood tests are laboratory tests done on blood to gain an appreciation of disease states and the function of organs. ... In the NATO phonetic alphabet, X-ray represents the letter X. An X-ray picture (radiograph) taken by Röntgen An X-ray is a form of electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength approximately in the range of 5 pm to 10 nanometers (corresponding to frequencies in the range 30 PHz... CT apparatus in a hospital Computed axial tomography (CAT), computer-assisted tomography, computed tomography, CT, or body section roentgenography is the process of using digital processing to generate a three-dimensional image of the internals of an object from a large series of two-dimensional X-ray images taken around... Medical ultrasonography (sonography) is an ultrasound-based diagnostic imaging technique used to visualize muscles and internal organs, their size, structure and any pathological lesions, making them useful for scanning the organs. ... A biopsy (in Greek: bios = life and opsy = look/appearance) is a medical test involving the removal of cells or tissues for examination. ...

Radiological signs of bowel obstruction include bowel distension and the presence of multiple (more than six) gas-fluid levels on supine and erect abdominal radiographs. Image A: A normal chest X-ray. ... Radiography is the creation of radiographs, photographs made by exposing a photographic film or other image receptor to X-rays. ...

Contrast enema or small bowel series or CT scan can be used to define the level of obstruction, whether the obstruction is partial or complete, and to help define the cause of the obstruction. Colonoscopy, small bowel investigation with ingested camera or push endoscopy, and laparoscopy are other diagnostic options. CAT apparatus in a hospital Computed axial tomography (CAT), computer-assisted tomography, computed tomography, CT, or body section roentgenography is the process of using digital processing to generate a three-dimensional image of the internals of an object from a large series of two-dimensional X-ray images taken around... Colonoscopy is the minimally invasive endoscopic examination of the large colon and the distal part of the small bowel with a fiber optic camera on a flexible tube passed through the anus. ... Endoscopic images of a duodenal ulcer Endoscopy means looking inside and refers to looking inside the human body for medical reasons. ... Laparoscopic surgery, also called keyhole surgery (when natural body openings are not used), bandaid surgery, or minimally invasive surgery (MIS), is a surgical technique. ...

Treatment

Some causes of bowel obstruction may resolve spontaneously; many require operative treatment.

Treatment for a small bowel obstruction can involve insertion of a nasogastric tube, correction of dehydration and electrolyte abnormalities, and treating the cause of the obstruction. Adhesive obstructions often settle without surgery, but if prolonged may require surgical intervention. A nasogastric tube (NG tube) is a plastic tube, inserted into a nostril through the nose, into the throat, down the oesophagus and into the stomach. ... An electrolyte is a substance that dissociates into free ions when dissolved (or molten), to produce an electrically conductive medium. ...

Fetal and neonatal bowel obstuctions are often caused by an intestinal atresia where there is a narrowing or absence of a part of the intestine. These atresias are often discovered before birth via a sonogram and treated with using laparotomy after birth. If the area affected is small then the surgeon may be able to remove the damaged portion and join the intestine back together. In instantances where the narrowing is longer, or the area is damaged and cannot be used for a period of time, a temporary stoma may be placed. Intestinal atresia is a malformation where the there is a narrowing or absence of a portion of the intestine. ... A sonogram may refer to the following: A diagnostic medical image created using ultrasound echo equipment, see sonography. ... A laparotomy is a surgical maneuver involving an incision through the abdominal wall to gain access into the abdominal cavity. ... SEM photo of stomata, 350x, colorized In botany, a stoma (also stomate; plural stomata) is a tiny opening or pore, found mostly on the under-surface(epidermis) of a plant leaf, and used for gas exchange. ...

See also

• Ileus

Ileus refers to limited or absent intestinal passage. ...

External links

• eMedicine emerg/66
• eMedicine emerg/65
• UCSF Fetal Treatment Center: Bowel Obstructions