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Related Subjects: Small Bowel Obstruction | Colonic (Large bowel) Obstruction | Caecal Volvulus | Small Bowel Ischaemia | Hartmann's procedure | Sigmoid Volvulus | Acute Colonic Pseudo-obstruction |
RIF tenderness with radiological evidence of caecal distension and distal colonic obstruction is a critical sign indicating imminent caecal perforation and peritonitis. Follows Laplace's law as the tension in the wall is greatest where the diameter is maximal
Large Bowel Obstruction |
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Type | Small Bowel | Large Bowel |
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Abdominal Pain | Early and colicky and centrally abdominal | Pain may not be colicky |
Vomiting | Early Bilious vomiting and then faecalent due to bacterial overgrowth | Vomiting late |
Constipation | Late | Early. May pass diarrhoea if partial obstruction |
Abdominal distension | Less if high obstruction and vomits | More severe if low |
Abdominal percussion | May be resonant | May be resonant |
Bowel sounds | High pitched tinkling | |
AXR | Central small bowel valvulae coniventae across width of bowel visible. Distended small bowel. Usually centrally. Many short fluid levels on erect film. Often many loops of the small bowel. SB usually < 3 cm and up to 5 cm when obstructed. No gas in the colon. | Peripheral large bowel and haustra do not cross the entire diameter of the wall. Gas in the large bowel. Few loops. Few long fluid levels. Transverse diameter < 10 cm. |
Causes | Post surgical adhesions, herniae, volvulus, paralytic ileus, small bowel ischaemia, old irradiation damage, Crohn's disease | Colorectal cancer, Sigmoid volvulus, Diverticular disease |