Bowel Obstruction

GENERAL INFORMATION:

What is it?

• A bowel obstruction (ub-struk-shun) is when some or all of the food or air can not move through your intestines (bowel). The bowel is a 20-foot long coiled tube inside your abdomen (belly). This is where bowel movement (BM) is formed. The bowel runs from your stomach to your anus (rear end). The anus is where BM leaves your body.
  
  
• No food or air can move through the bowel if you have a complete bowel obstruction. Some, but not all, of the food or air is able to move through the bowel if you have an incomplete bowel obstruction. Bowel obstructions are more common in very young or older people. A bowel obstruction can usually be treated.

Causes: Following are some of the possible causes of a bowel obstruction.

• Abdominal surgery.
  
  
• Abnormal tissue that is growing inside or outside the bowel. This abnormal tissue may be scar tissue from a previous surgery. It may be a tumor (growth) in or around your bowel. This tumor may or may not be cancer.
  
  
• Constipation (hard BMs).
  
  
• Hernia.
  
  
• Intussusception (in-tuh-suh-sep-shun) is when a part of the bowel collapses into itself.
  
  
• Nerve damage to the bowel.
  
  
• Swallowing a foreign object.
  
  
• Twisted bowel.

Signs and Symptoms: You may have one or more of the following signs of a bowel obstruction.

• Abdominal pain and cramping.
  
  
• Abdominal swelling.
  
  
• Blood in BM.
  
  
• Constipation.
  
  
• Gas.
  
  
• Vomiting (throwing up).

Care: Your caregiver may suggest one or more of the following tests or treatments.

• Tests:
  
  
  • Abdominal Ultrasound: Sound waves are used to show pictures on a TV-like screen of the inside of your abdomen. An abdominal ultrasound is a painless test that is done while lying down.
    
    
  • Blood tests.
    
    
  • Scope tests: Caregivers may decide to do one or more of the following type of scope tests. The scopes for each of these tests are different but they are all made up of a tube with a magnifying glass and light on the end. A camera may be hooked to the scope and pictures may be taken.
    
    
    • Colonoscopy (ko-lun-oss-kuh-p): Caregivers put the scope into your anus (rear end). The scope is then moved up into the lower part of your intestines so that caregivers can look inside the colon.
      
      
    • EGD: Caregivers put a scope into your mouth and down your throat to look at the inside lining of the organs that help digest food. These organs are the esophagus (e-sof-uh-gus), stomach, and duodenum (dew-o-d-num). The esophagus is the tube that carries food from your throat to your stomach.
      
      
    • Laparoscopy (lap-er-oss-kuh-p). This is surgery where a scope is put into an incision (cut) in your abdomen.
      
      
    • Sigmoidoscopy (sig-moid-oss-kuh-p): This test looks at the parts of your intestine called the sigmoid and the rectum.
    
    
  • Urine tests.
    
    
  • X-rays:
    
    
    • Abdominal x-rays.
      
      
    • Barium enema. A barium enema is an x-ray of the colon. A chalky liquid is put into your rectum to help the colon show up better on the x-ray film.
      
      
    • Barium Swallow: This test is also called an upper gastrointestinal (GI) x-ray. X-ray pictures are taken after you drink a thick chalky liquid called barium. The barium helps the esophagus and stomach show up better on x-ray.
      
      
    • CT Scan: This test, which is also called a "CAT" scan uses a special x-ray machine and a computer to take pictures of intestines. Before taking the pictures, you may be given dye through an IV in your vein to help the colon show up better.
  
  
• Treatment:
  
  
  • Medicine.
    
    
  • NG (nasogastric) tube.
    
    
  • Surgery.

CARE AGREEMENT:

You have the right to help plan your care. To help with this plan, you must learn about your health condition and how it may be treated. You can then discuss treatment options with your caregivers. Work with them to decide what care may be used to treat you. You always have the right to refuse treatment.

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