CARE ASSISTANT
SLBowel Obstruction: Causes & Symptoms
A physical obstacle in the bowel, to be treated urgently.
Causes range from a mechanical blockage (stool plug, tumour, volvulus, stricture from Crohn's disease) to paralytic ileus, where the bowel stops moving after surgery.
The signs worsen quickly: pain in waves, no gas passing, swollen abdomen, vomiting. This is a medical emergency.
More Informations
A digestive emergency managed in hospital.
Definition
Bowel obstruction is a stop of transit: food, fluids and gas no longer progress. It causes pain, vomiting and bloating, and needs prompt care.
Causes
Adhesions after surgery, a hernia, a tumour, or a plug of very hard stool.
Diagnosis
- Abdominal CT scan, which locates the obstacle and assesses the state of the bowel.
Treatments
Hospital admission, no food by mouth, a gastric tube for relief, intravenous fluids. Depending on the cause, the obstruction resolves under monitoring or requires surgery.
After bowel surgery, transit resumes irregularly. A Combi brief with tabs and then, as soon as possible, Flexi absorbent underwear accompany recovery; the care team says when to lighten.
Educational content written for families and caregivers. It does not replace a consultation: a doctor, a continence nurse or a physiotherapist makes the diagnosis and chooses the treatment.