Intestinal Obstruction

On this page

Basics

• Summary
• Start Here
• Diagnosis and Tests
• Treatments and Therapies

Learn More

• Related Issues
• Specifics
• Genetics

See, Play and Learn

• No links available

Research

• Clinical Trials
• Journal Articles

Resources

• No links available

For You

• Children
• Patient Handouts

Summary

An intestinal obstruction occurs when food or stool cannot move through the intestines. The obstruction can be complete or partial. There are many causes. The most common are adhesions, hernias, cancers, and certain medicines.

Symptoms include:

• Severe abdominal pain or cramping
• Vomiting
• Bloating
• Loud bowel sounds
• Swelling of the abdomen
• Inability to pass gas
• Constipation

A complete intestinal obstruction is a medical emergency. It often requires surgery.

NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Start Here

• Anatomic Problems of the Lower GI Tract (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) Also in Spanish
• Intestinal Obstruction (Merck & Co., Inc.) Also in Spanish

Diagnosis and Tests

• CT Enterography (American College of Radiology; Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish
• Radiographic Tests in GI (American College of Gastroenterology)

Treatments and Therapies

• Colectomy (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• Colostomy - series (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Intestinal obstruction repair - series (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Ostomy Surgery of the Bowel (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
• Small bowel resection - series (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

Related Issues

• Ileus (Merck & Co., Inc.) Also in Spanish
• Intestinal Pseudo-Obstruction (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)

Specifics

• Acute Mesenteric Ischemia (Merck & Co., Inc.) Also in Spanish
• Bowel Obstruction and Cancer Treatment (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
• Disorders of the Large Intestine (International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders)
• Disorders of the Small Intestine (International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders)
• Intestinal Ischemia (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish

Genetics

• Epidermolysis bullosa with pyloric atresia: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• Feingold syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Fecal Impaction (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Intestinal Obstruction (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Intestinal Volvulus (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Intussusception (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Visceral to subcutaneous fat area ratio predicts early postoperative small bowel...
• Article: Seprafilm(®) and adhesive small bowel obstruction in colorectal/abdominal surgery: an updated...
• Article: Development and validation of deep learning models for bowel obstruction on...
• Intestinal Obstruction -- see more articles

Children

• Hirschsprung Disease (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• Hirschsprung Disease (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
• Intestinal Malrotation (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• Intestinal obstruction (pediatric) - series (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Intussusception (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Patient Handouts

• Intestinal obstruction and Ileus (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Intestinal obstruction repair (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Intestinal or bowel obstruction - discharge (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Intussusception - children (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Small bowel resection (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish