Small Bowel Obstruction (SBO)
ðđ āļิāļĒāļēāļĄ
āļ āļēāļ§āļ°āļี่āļāļēāļĢāđāļŦāļĨāļāļāļāļĨāļģāđāļŠ้āđāļĨ็āļāļูāļāļัāļāļāļ§āļēāļ
āļāļģāđāļŦ้āđāļิāļāļāļēāļĢāļั่āļāļāļāļāļāļāļāđāļŦāļĨāļ§ āđāļ๊āļŠ āđāļĨāļ° distention → āđāļŠี่āļĒāļ ischemia → necrosis → perforation āļŦāļēāļāđāļĄ่āđāļ้āļĢัāļāļāļēāļĢāļĢัāļāļĐāļēāļัāļāđāļ§āļĨāļē
ðđ āļĢāļ°āļāļēāļāļ§ิāļāļĒāļē
- SBO =
80% āļāļāļ mechanical intestinal obstruction āļั้āļāļŦāļĄāļ
- āļŠāļēāđāļŦāļุ 3 āļัāļāļัāļāđāļĢāļ: Adhesions (≈60–70%)
> Hernia > Tumor
- 20–30%
āļāļāļ SBO āļ้āļāļāļ่āļēāļัāļ
- Ischemia
āļāļāđāļ้ 7–42% →
āđāļิ่āļĄ mortality
ðđ āļāļĒāļēāļิāļŠāļĢีāļĢāļ§ิāļāļĒāļē
- Obstruction
→ proximal bowel
dilatation → fluid
sequestration → third
space loss →
hypovolemia, electrolyte imbalance
- Distention
āļĄāļēāļ → venous + lymphatic obstruction → wall edema →
compromised mucosal perfusion
- Closed-loop
obstruction →
segment āļูāļāļุāļāļั้āļāļั้āļ proximal + distal → āđāļŠี่āļĒāļ strangulation
āļŠูāļāļŠุāļ
ðđ āđāļ่āļāļāļĢāļ°āđāļ āļ
|
āļāļĢāļ°āđāļ āļ |
āļāļ§āļēāļĄāļŠāļģāļัāļāļāļēāļāļāļĨิāļิāļ |
|
Partial vs Complete |
Complete āđāļŠี่āļĒāļ ischemia/necrosis
āļĄāļēāļ |
|
Acute vs Chronic |
Acute āļ้āļāļ exclude
strangulation |
|
Simple vs Strangulated |
Strangulated = āļĄี compromised
blood flow (emergency) |
|
Closed-loop |
āļĄี obstruction
2 āļุāļ → high risk ischemia |
ðđ Etiologies (āļŠāļēāđāļŦāļุāļŦāļĨัāļ)
Extrinsic: adhesions (āļ่āļēāļัāļāļĄāļēāļ่āļāļ),
hernia, volvulus
Intrinsic: tumor, Crohn stricture, radiation enteritis
Intraluminal: gallstone ileus, bezoar, foreign body, intussusception
Adhesions āļืāļāļŠāļēāđāļŦāļุāļŦāļĨัāļ
āđāļĄ้āđāļĄ่āļĄีāļāļĢāļ°āļ§ัāļิāļ่āļēāļัāļ (virgin abdomen)
ðđ Clinical Presentation
āļāļēāļāļēāļĢāļŦāļĨัāļ
- Colicky
abdominal pain (periumbilical, every 4–5 min)
- Nausea/vomiting
(āļĄāļēāļāđāļ proximal SBO)
- Obstipation
(complete obstruction)
- Abdominal
distention (āđāļ่āļāđāļ distal SBO)
- Fever,
constant pain, tachycardia, peritonitis →
āļŠāļāļŠัāļĒ strangulation
Signs of Strangulation/Bowel Ischemia (Red Flag)
✅ Continuous pain
✅
Fever, leukocytosis
✅
Tachycardia, hypotension
✅
Peritoneal sign, rebound tenderness
✅
Metabolic acidosis, elevated lactate
āļāļ 1 āļ้āļāļึ้āļāđāļ → āļ้āļāļ āļ่āļēāļัāļ
emergent
ðđ āļāļēāļĢāļāļĢāļ°āđāļĄิāļāđāļื้āļāļāļ้āļ
(ER Initial Management)
1.
Fluid resuscitation: large bore IV,
crystalloids
2.
NPO + NG decompression (if
vomiting/distension)
3.
Electrolyte correction
4.
Labs: CBC, CMP, lactate, ABG, ± blood
culture
5.
Analgesia, antiemetics
ðđ Imaging
|
Modality |
āļāļāļāļēāļ |
|
Plain X-ray |
Initial: dilated loops, air-fluid
levels |
|
CT with IV contrast (gold
standard) |
Identify SBO, transition point,
cause, severity, ischemia |
|
CT findings of ischemia:
bowel wall thickening, pneumatosis, portal venous gas, mesenteric stranding,
free fluid |
|
|
Ultrasound |
Useful in pregnancy/bedside |
|
MRI |
āđāļ้āđāļāļŦāļิāļāļั้āļāļāļĢāļĢāļ ์,
young pts āļŦāļĨีāļāđāļĨี่āļĒāļāļĢัāļāļŠี |
ðđ āđāļāļāļ์āđāļĒāļ SBO
vs Ileus
|
SBO (mechanical) |
Ileus (functional) |
|
Colicky pain |
Constant discomfort |
|
High-pitched bowel sounds early → hypoactive |
Minimal/absent bowel sounds |
|
Transition point on imaging |
No transition point |
|
Distal bowel collapsed |
Colon & rectum still have gas |
ðđ Management Overview
✅ Non-operative (70–80% of
adhesive SBO)
āđāļ้āđāļ āđāļĄ่āļĄี peritonitis /
ischemia / closed-loop
- NG
decompression
- IV
hydration, electrolyte correction
- Observe
24–48 hr
- Gastrografin
challenge (āļ่āļ§āļĒāļั้āļ diagnosis & therapy)
❗ Operative indications
āļ้āļēāļāļ āļŦāļึ่āļāļ้āļ āļ้āļāļāļ่āļēāļัāļ
- Signs
of strangulation
- Complete
SBO āđāļĄ่āļีāļึ้āļāđāļ 24–48 hr
- Closed-loop
obstruction
- Hernia
incarceration
- Tumor
/ Crohn stricture refractory
ðđ āļŠāļĢุāļ Algorithm
(āļุāļāđāļิāļ)
1.
Stabilize (ABC, IV, NG)
2.
CT Scan with contrast
3.
Strangulation?
o Yes
→ OR
o No
→ Conservative 24–48 hr
4.
Response?
o Yes
→ Continue non-op
o No
→ OR
|
✅ Key Takeaways āļŠāļģāļŦāļĢัāļāđāļāļāļĒ์
|
Management of Small Bowel Obstruction (SBO)
ð§ Overview
Small bowel obstruction (SBO) = āļ āļēāļ§āļ°āļุāļāđāļิāļāļāļēāļāļĻัāļĨāļĒāļāļĢāļĢāļĄāļี่āļ้āļāļ
stabilize →
stratify → decide
(operative vs non-operative) āļāļĒ่āļēāļāļĢāļ§āļāđāļĢ็āļ§ āđāļื่āļāļ้āļāļāļัāļ bowel
ischemia āđāļĨāļ° mortality.
ðī Initial Steps (ER
Bundle)
✅ Admit + Consult āļĻัāļĨāļĒāđāļāļāļĒ์āļัāļāļี (āđāļĄ่āļĢāļāļāļĨ CT āļ่āļāļ consult)
✅
NPO, āļāļāļ้āļģāļāļāļāļēāļŦāļēāļĢ
✅
IV Fluid aggressively (LR āļŦāļĢืāļ NS) → correct hypovolemia,
electrolyte
✅
Insert NG tube āļ้āļēāļĄี distension, vomiting, proximal
obstruction
✅
Analgesia + Antiemetics
✅
Antibiotics → āđāļŦ้āđāļāļāļēāļ°āđāļāļāļĢāļีāļŠāļāļŠัāļĒ strangulation, ischemia, perforation, sepsis
āļŦāļĢืāļāđāļāļĢีāļĒāļĄāđāļ้āļēāļŦ้āļāļāļ่āļēāļัāļ
ðĐš Indications for
IMMEDIATE Surgery
(āļ้āļēāļāļ āļŦāļึ่āļāļ้āļāđāļāļ้āļāļŦāļึ่āļ → No trial of non-operative
management)
|
Clinical Red Flags |
Radiologic Red Flags |
|
Fever, SIRS |
Free air (perforation) |
|
Tachycardia refractory to fluid |
Pneumatosis intestinalis |
|
Severe continuous pain |
Portal venous gas |
|
Peritonitis |
Closed-loop obstruction |
|
Metabolic acidosis, lactate ↑ |
Mesenteric swirl, reduced
enhancement |
|
WBC > 16K, CRP > 75 |
>500 mL free fluid on CT |
ð āđāļŦ้ OR
āļ āļēāļĒāđāļāļั่āļ§āđāļĄāļ (Damage control surgery)
ðĄ Indications for Urgent
(Non-emergent) Surgery
(āļĒัāļ stable āđāļ่ obstruction
unlikely to resolve without surgery)
- Incarcerated
hernia (āđāļĄ่āļĄี strangulation)
- Volvulus
- Intussusception
āđāļāļู้āđāļŦāļ่
- Gallstone
ileus
- Small
bowel tumor (curative intent)
ð āļāļģāļŦāļĨัāļ resuscitation
āđāļŠāļĢ็āļ (āļ āļēāļĒāđāļ 12–24 āļāļĄ.)
ðĒ Candidates for
Non-Operative Management (Trial 24–72 hr)
āđāļāļāļēāļ°āļāļĢāļี “Adhesive SBO” āļŦāļĢืāļ “Partial SBO” āđāļĨāļ° āđāļĄ่āļĄีāļŠัāļāļāļēāļ bowel
compromise
Component āļāļāļ Conservative
Management:
- NPO
- NG
decompression
- IV
fluid + electrolyte correction
- Monitor
urine output, vitals, labs
- Gastrografin
challenge (āļ้āļēāđāļĄ่ contraindicated)
⏰ āļĢāļ°āļĒāļ°āđāļ§āļĨāļē:
- 3 āļ§ัāļ (AAST/WSES)
- 5 āļ§ัāļ (EAST)
āļŦ้āļēāļĄāđāļิāļ 5 āļ§ัāļ: āđāļิ่āļĄ morbidity/mortality
ð āļ้āļē 48
āļāļĄ. āđāļĄ่āļĄี improvement āļŦāļĢืāļāļĄี deterioration
→ āļ่āļēāļัāļ
ð Gastrografin Challenge
(āđāļāļāļēāļ° Adhesive SBO)
- āđāļŦ้āļ่āļēāļ NG tube (100 mL undiluted), clamp 2–4 hr
- X-ray
KUB āļ āļēāļĒāđāļ 6–24 hr:
- āļŦāļēāļ contrast āđāļ้āļēāļĨāļģāđāļŠ้āđāļŦāļ่ → SBO
āļ่āļēāļāļ° resolve →
āđāļĢิ่āļĄ diet
- āļ้āļēāđāļĄ่āđāļ้āļē → āļิāļāļēāļĢāļāļēāļ่āļēāļัāļ
āļ้āļāļŦ้āļēāļĄ: āļŠāļāļŠัāļĒ ischemia,
perforation, pregnancy, postoperative SBO, severe vomiting risk aspirate
ðŊ Criteria āļี่āļāļģāļāļēāļĒāļ§่āļē
Non-op Likely to Fail
(āļ้āļāļāđāļāļĢีāļĒāļĄ OR āđāļ§้āđāļ่āđāļิ่āļ
āđ)
- Pain
>4 āļ§ัāļ
- Guarding
- CRP
>75 mg/L
- WBC
>10K
- Free
fluid >500 mL
- Reduced
wall enhancement on CT
≥3 āļ้āļ → Specificity
90% āļ้āļāļāļ่āļēāļัāļ
ð Outcome &
Recurrence
|
āļāļēāļĢāļĢัāļāļĐāļē |
āļัāļāļĢāļēāļŠāļģāđāļĢ็āļ |
Recurrence risk |
|
Non-operative (adhesive SBO) |
65–83% |
recurrence āļŠูāļ |
|
Operative adhesiolysis |
āļĨāļ recurrence
50% |
āđāļิ่āļĄ adhesion
āļ้āļēāļ่āļēāļัāļāđāļิāļāđāļāļ open |
|
Laparoscopic adhesiolysis |
āļีāļี่āļŠุāļāđāļ virgin
abdomen āļŦāļĢืāļ single-band adhesion |
|
✅ Summary Algorithm 1. SBO diagnosed → Admit + Surgical consult 2. Assess stability: - If signs
of compromise → OR immediately - If
surgically correctable cause (non-adhesive) → urgent surgery - If
adhesive SBO without compromise → Non-op trial 3. Begin NG, IV fluids, monitor 4. Consider Gastrografin within 24h 5. Daily reassessment: -
Resolution → advance diet - Stable
but no improvement within 3–5 days → surgery - Any
deterioration → immediate surgery |
āđāļĄ่āļĄีāļāļ§āļēāļĄāļิāļāđāļŦ็āļ:
āđāļŠāļāļāļāļ§āļēāļĄāļิāļāđāļŦ็āļ