Study of Etiological Spectrums, Symptoms, and Management of Intestinal Obstruction Among Population in Central India

Abstract

Abstract Introduction: Intestinal obstruction has emerged as a challenging emergency putting unwanted financial as well as clinical burden globally. A study on etiology, symptoms, and management could benefit in treating larger population of the region. Aim: The study aimed to study the demography, etiology, symptoms, and management of intestinal obstruction among a population in central India. Materials and Methods: A single-center prospective observational study of intestinal obstruction was done among patients admitted to various surgical wards, during the period from January 1, 2018, to May 31, 2019. Here, we studied 50 cases of intestinal obstruction. Patients belonged to the age groups ranging from 15 to 85 years were included. Patients were selected on the basis of clinical history, physical findings, and radiological and hematological investigations. For statistical analysis, Chi-square and Fisher exact tests were performed. Results: There were a total of 12,233 admissions among which 228 cases were acute intestinal obstruction, we randomly selected 50 cases for the present study. Males were 72% (n = 36) and females were 28% (n = 14). The age groups 31–40 (20%) and 51–60 (20%) showed the highest incidence. Postoperative adhesions (40%), obstructive hernia (30%), and malignancy (14%) were the major causes of obstruction. Surgical intervention was carried out with release of adhesions in majority of cases (40%), resection anastomosis in 22%, and release of adhesions with herniorrhaphy in 18% of cases. Pain in the abdomen was a major symptom (88%) among the cases. The mortality rate was 14% of the total subjects involved in the study. Conclusion: Acute intestinal obstruction remains an important surgical emergency in the surgical field, success in the treatment depends largely upon early diagnosis and proper management and treatment of pathological effects of the obstruction. Postoperative adhesions are one of the main causes responsible for intestinal obstruction.