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Bowel obstruction, also known as intestinal obstruction, is a mechanical or functional obstruction of the intestines which prevents the normal movement of the products of digestion. [2] [5] Either the small bowel or large bowel may be affected. [1] Signs and symptoms include abdominal pain, vomiting, bloating and not passing gas. [1]
Biofeedback has been shown to improve symptoms (improved frequency of bowel movements, reduced straining) and also reduce need for laxatives, [16] and patients stop needing to self-digitate. [25] Biofeedback can successfully treat abnormal contraction and relaxation of muscles in the anorectum during defecation. [ 25 ]
The diagnosis is often made during laparoscopic pelvic exploration after the person arrives at the hospital with signs and symptoms consistent with bowel obstruction. Laparoscopic pelvic exploration is a minimally invasive procedure that allows the surgeon to visually examine the contents of the abdomen without making a large cut. [5]
Bowel obstruction is most often caused by intestinal adhesions, which frequently form after abdominal surgeries, or by chronic infections such as diverticulitis, hepatitis, and inflammatory bowel disease. The condition may be difficult to diagnose, as the symptoms may resemble those of other bowel disorders. [5]
Volvulus causes severe pain and progressive injury to the intestinal wall, with accumulation of gas and fluid in the portion of the bowel obstructed. [11] Ultimately, this can result in necrosis of the affected intestinal wall, acidosis, and death. This is known as a closed-loop obstruction because there exists an isolated ("closed") loop of bowel.
An inguinal hernia or groin hernia is a hernia (protrusion) of abdominal cavity contents through the inguinal canal.Symptoms, which may include pain or discomfort especially with or following coughing, exercise, or bowel movements, are absent in about a third of patients.
In later stages of constipation, the abdomen may become distended, hard and diffusely tender. Severe cases ("fecal impaction" or malignant constipation) may exhibit symptoms of bowel obstruction (nausea, vomiting, tender abdomen) and encopresis, where soft stool from the small intestine bypasses the mass of impacted fecal matter in the colon.
For example, an abdominal X-ray showing small bowel obstruction in a female patient with a painful groin lump needs no further investigation. Several other conditions have a similar presentation and must be considered when forming the diagnosis: inguinal hernia , an enlarged femoral lymph node , aneurysm of the femoral artery, dilation of the ...