Small Bowel Obstruction
A small bowel obstruction is a blockage of the small bowel, also called the small intestine. The small bowel is a long, slender tube that connects the stomach to the colon. When a person eats and drinks, food and fluids go from the stomach to the small bowel. This is where most of the nutrients in the food and fluids are absorbed.
A small bowel obstruction will prevent food and fluids from passing through the small bowel as they normally do during digestion. The small bowel may be partially or completely blocked. This can cause symptoms such as abdominal pain and bloating. If not treated, this condition can be dangerous because the small bowel could rupture.
CAUSES
Common causes of this condition include:
• Scar
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• Constipation.
• Lack of passing gas.
• Frequent belching.
• Diarrhea. This may occur if runny stool is able to leak around the obstruction.
DIAGNOSIS
This condition may be diagnosed based on a physical exam, medical history, and X-rays of the abdomen. You may also have other tests, such as a CT scan of the abdomen and pelvis.
TREATMENT
Treatment for this condition depends on the cause and severity of the problem. Treatment options may include:
• Bed rest and fluids given through an IV tube inserted into one of your veins. Sometimes, this is all that is needed for the obstruction to improve.
• Following a simple diet. In some cases, a clear liquid diet may be required for several days. This allows the bowel to rest.
• Placement of a small tube (nasogastric tube) into the stomach. When the bowel is blocked, it usually swells up like a balloon filled with air and fluids. The air and fluids may be removed by suction through the nasogastric tube. This can help with pain, discomfort, and nausea. It can also help the obstruction clear up faster.
• Surgery. This may be required if other treatments do not work. Bowel obstruction from a hernia may require early surgery and can be an emergency procedure. Scar tissue that causes frequent or severe obstructions may also require
The name for these erosions is aphthous ulcers. These erosions, after a while, start to deepen and grow in diameter. Once they reach a certain size, they can be referred to as ulcers. These ulcers can cause scarring and they can also cause the bowel to become stiff and lose its elasticity. As Crohn’s worsens, the bowel becomes obstructed once the passageways narrow enough. This obstruction can cause a buildup of food that is still being digested, fluid and gas that comes from the stomach. This obstruction will then prevent all of those products from entering into the colon. This will cause severe abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, and even abdominal distention. If the ulcers located in the walls of the bowel become large or extreme enough, holes can form in the walls of the bowel. Once those holes are formed in the bowel, the bacteria normal to the bowel can then pass through those holes and spread to nearby organs and into the abdominal cavity causing what are called fistulas. These fistulas are like a channel/tunnel that is formed between the ulcer and the adjacent organ. Then when a fistula is created between the affected intestine and the bladder, it is called an enteric-vesicular fistula which can lead to UTI’s and feces being presented during urination. Next, when the fistula is formed between the intestine and skin, it is called an enteric-cutaneous fistula. What this fistula, pus and mucous exit the body through a painful opening found in the skin of the
It is believed that a diet which lacks enough fiber is a primary cause of the high pressure created in the colon. The increased pressure causes tissue breakdown of the colonic wall. If you don’t eat enough fiber, the stool gets hard. When stool gets hard, it tends to stay in one spot and more fecal matter packs up behind it, which causes more pressure to be exerted on the wall of the colon.
If lifestyle changers and therapies and other treatments don’t relive your signs and symptoms, surgery may be an option. Surgery options include the surgeon removing the damaged portion of your digestive tract and reconnect it, surgery is
Crohn's disease is an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). It causes inflammation of the lining of your digestive tract, which can lead to abdominal pain, severe diarrhea and even malnutrition. Inflammation caused by Crohn's disease can involve different areas of the digestive tract in different people. The inflammation caused by Crohn's disease often spreads deep into the layers of affected bowel tissue. Like ulcerative colitis, another common IBD, Crohn's disease can be both painful and debilitating, and sometimes may lead to life-threatening complications. Although it may involve any part of the digestive tract from the mouth to the anus, it most commonly affects the last part of the small intestine (ileum) and/or the large
Since you have been diagnosed with a bowel obstruction the doctor wants you not eat or drink anything. The reason why the doctor would like you to refrain from having anything to eat and drink is to give your intestines time to rest and if you are not intaking anything your bowels do not have to help digest anything and are able to relax. Having you not eat or drink anything will hopefully help with the blockage since the intestines are allowed to relax.
There are many ways to treat this condition. Treatment can depend on the size, location, and stage of the tumor. Often, more than one type of treatment is used. Treatment may include:
Surgery. This is rarely needed, but it may be considered in adults who are done growing and continue to have symptoms.
Increase fiber and water to help with the constipation. Monitor patients ability to swallow and eat. Provide high protein and high caloric foods or supplements to help maintain weight. Use exercise programs such as tia chi
Crohn’s disease unfortunately has no cure, being that the cause is unknown. There are several drugs help controlling the disease, like prescription medications. Doctors can also recommend over the counter treatments such as pain relievers and supplements. People also can reduces the severity of the disease by having low fiber diets, regularly exercising. This helps control the inflammation and relieve abdominal pain, diarrhea and reduces rectal bleeding. For example, eating ripe bananas, apples, curd, and pureed vegetables can help maintain a good diet. Stress causes the symptoms to worsen so relaxations techniques like yoga can be super helpful. In more serious cases people may require surgery to clear out intestinal blockage, repair damage and treat symptoms that are hard to
Firstly, doctors provide drugs to help prevent your intestines from further inflammation and to relieve symptoms. These drugs also help to stop the symptoms from appearing. Many use Aminosalicylates, which treat the mild stages of the disease and they help to control the level of inflammation. Antibiotics, another common medication helps to treat and heal infections and symptoms. Corticosteroids are very powerful and are used during the late stages, and are very effective as they are fast-acting, but can cause major side effects. Besides medications, surgery is also an option, where parts of your digestive tract will be removed and repositioned, connecting it to healthy parts. Surgery may be considered generally in the severe stages to close up opened tissue, drain out waste or to widen the narrowed intestines. In addition, you may also consider taking nutrient therapy, where nutrients are injected into your veins to relieve your bowel, or you would be asked to follow a low-fiber diet in order to reduce the risk of blocking your
The main goal of treatment is to get the symptoms to go away as quickly as possible. Most people with this disorder respond well to relaxation techniques and reassurance from their health care provider that the symptoms are stress related. For people with symptoms that do not go away, the following treatment options are
• A colostomy if other treatments fail. This involves removing a portion of the bowel. The remaining part is then attached to either the anus, or to a hole in the abdomen (stoma) through which stool leaves the body and is collected in a
For very severe cases where people are having organ failure or inflammation of the abdominal wall surgery may be necessary.
Imperforate anus is corrected with a reconstructive surgery. The exact procedure varies from child to child. During the surgery, an opening is made where the anus should be, and any openings in the wrong place are closed. Often times, more than one surgery is needed. The goal of the surgeries is to create a normal rectum and anus. Surgery to correct imperforate anus is usually successful. However, some children may have trouble controlling bowel movements after the surgery for life.
The mortality rate in the general population is <1%, whereas among older adults it ranges from 4-8%. Older adults account for half of all deaths from appendicitis and tend to present late, and symptoms are atypical (Tazkarji, 2008). Furthermore, small bowel obstructions (SBO) can be indicative of ileus and resolved with nursing interventions such as nasogastric to suction, Salem sump to lower intermittent suction and bowel rest. Large bowel obstruction (LBO) is usually caused by cancer, diverticulitis, or volvulus. It is less common than SBO (Ansari, 2014). The classic description is abdominal pain, severe constipation, and intractable vomiting. however, nearly % of older adults have diarrhea, and only half report constipation or vomiting. The mortality rate of nearly 40% is mainly due to late diagnosis. (Tazkarji, 2008).