Difference between revisions of "Intestinal Obstruction"

Latest revision as of 23:03, 9 September 2015

Signalment

No breed predisposition
No sex predilection

Description

Intestinal obstruction can be classified as acute or chronic, partial or complete, simple or incarcerated. The cause of the obstruction can be intraluminal, extraluminal or intramural. Most common causes of intestinal obstruction include intussusception, neoplasia and foreign body. Intussusception is more likely in young animals with a history of gastroenteritis or intestinal surgery. Cats frequently present with linear foreign bodies. Other less common causes include intestinal torsion/volvulus and incarcerated intestinal obstruction. Neoplasia is more commonly present in middle-aged to older animals.

Diagnosis

Clinical Signs

The clinical presentation depends on the cause, severity, and the site of obstruction. Upper small intestinal obstruction causes a net fluid secretion whereas lower small intestinal obstruction causes a net fluid resorption. Antibiotic responsive diarrhoea is more likely to occur in distal small intestinal obstruction.

Simple obstruction

Vomiting; the further the obstruction is towards the mouth, the frequency and the volume is higher
Moribund or in septic shock; in cases where part of the intestine becomes devitalised, resulting in septic peritonitis
Abdominal foreign body, mass or obstructive ileus may be palpable

Incarcerated intestinal obstruction

Acute vomiting
Abdominal pain
Depression
Endotoxic shock with toxic mucous membranes and tachycardia

Intestinal torsion/volvulus

Acute and severe onset of:

nausea
retching
vomiting ± bloody diarrhoea
acute abdomen
abdominal fluid accumulation
depression

Linear foreign body

Vomiting; food, bile and/or phlegm
Anorexia, depression

Laboratory Tests

Haematology

Mild dehydration to septic shock

Biochemistry

Hypochloraemia and hypokalaemia acid-base derangement is common in animals with intestinal obstruction.
Metabolic alkalosis ± aciduria may occur with upper duodenal obstruction.

Diagnostic Imaging

Radiography

Plain abdominal radiography may be all that is needed to reveal the cause of the obstruction. Gas and fluid accumulation may be visible due to intestinal dilation. Decreased serosal detail indicates peritoneal fluid accumulation and free gas in the abdomen suggests perforated intestines. Gravel sign due to food particle accumulation may be present. Displacement, bunching or plication may also be seen.
Contrast radiography may be needed if ileus and obstruction cannot easily be distinguished. However, this may not always be feasible in an emergency situation.

Ultrasonography

Most of the time, this is a more sensitive technique in revealing the cause of the obstruction compared to radiography. Dilation and thickening of the wall of the intestine may be revealed.

Histopathology

Fine needle aspirate may be warranted before surgery if a mass is suspected, such as lymphoma.

Treatment

Stabilisation

Fluid balance, electrolyte and acid-base derangements are common in a vomiting animal. These need to be addressed prior to anaesthesia.

Antimicrbial

Broad spectrum antimicrobials, such as ampicillin or cephalosporin combined with metronidazole, are usually given prophylactically prior to surgery. This is vital if there are signs of sepsis or intestinal compromise.

Surgery

Once stabilised, the animal can be taken to surgery. Removal or resection of the obstruction is required.

Prognosis

This depends on type and severity of obstruction. A simple obstruction with no signs of septic peritonitis has a good prognosis. The prognosis is better in cases where there is no large resection of the intestines. On the other hand, the prognosis is grave if there are signs of metastatic neoplasia.

References

Ettinger, S.J. and Feldman, E. C. (2000) Textbook of Veterinary Internal Medicine Diseases of the Dog and Cat Volume 2 (Fifth Edition) W.B. Saunders Company.
Hall, E.J, Simpson, J.W. and Williams, D.A. (2005) BSAVA Manual of Canine and Feline Gastroenterology (2nd Edition) BSAVA
Nelson, R.W. and Couto, C.G. (2009) Small Animal Internal Medicine (Fourth Edition) Mosby Elsevier.

Intestinal Obstruction Learning Resources
Vetstream To reach the Vetstream content, please select	Canis, Felis, Lapis or Equis
PowerPoint Selection of relevant PowerPoint tutorials	E-Lecture:Intestinal Obstructions

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{unfinished}}
-{{dog}}
-{{cat}}
 ==Signalment==
+*No breed predisposition
+*No sex predilection
 ==Description==
-'''Intestinal obstruction''' can be classified as acute or chronic, partial or complete, simple or incarcerated.  The cause of the obstruction can be intraluminal, extraluminal or intramural.  Most common causes of intestinal obstruction include intussusception, neoplasia and foreign body.  Intussusception is more likely in young animals with a history of gastroenteritis or intestinal surgery.  Cats frequently present with linear foreign bodies.  Other less common causes include intestinal torsion/volvulus and incarcerated intestinal obstruction.  Neoplasia is more commonly present in middle-aged to older animals.
+'''Intestinal obstruction''' can be classified as acute or chronic, partial or complete, simple or incarcerated.  The cause of the obstruction can be intraluminal, extraluminal or intramural.  Most common causes of intestinal obstruction include [[Intussusception|intussusception]], neoplasia and foreign body.  [[Intussusception|Intussusception]] is more likely in young animals with a history of gastroenteritis or intestinal surgery.  Cats frequently present with linear foreign bodies.  Other less common causes include intestinal torsion/volvulus and incarcerated intestinal obstruction.  Neoplasia is more commonly present in middle-aged to older animals.
 ==Diagnosis==
 ===Clinical Signs===
-The clinical presentation depends on cause, severity, and site of obstruction.  Upper small intestinal obstruction causes a net fluid secretion whereas lower small intestinal obstruction causes a net fluid resoption.  Antibiotic responsive diarrhoea is more likely in distal small intestinal obstruction.
+The clinical presentation depends on the cause, severity, and the site of obstruction.  Upper small intestinal obstruction causes a net fluid secretion whereas lower small intestinal obstruction causes a net fluid resorption.  [[Antibiotic Responsive Diarrhoea|Antibiotic responsive diarrhoea]] is more likely to occur in distal small intestinal obstruction.
 ====Simple obstruction====
-*Vomiting; the further the obstruction is towards the mouth, the more frequent and the more volume the vomiting is
+*[[Vomiting|Vomiting]]; the further the obstruction is towards the mouth, the frequency and the volume is higher
-*Moribund or in septic shock; if part of the intestine becomes devitalised, resulting in septic peritonitis
+*Moribund or in septic shock; in cases where part of the intestine becomes devitalised, resulting in septic peritonitis
 *Abdominal foreign body, mass or obstructive ileus may be palpable
 ====Incarcerated intestinal obstruction====
-*Acute vomiting
+*Acute [[Vomiting|vomiting]]
 *Abdominal pain
 *Depression
-*Endotoxic shock with toxic mucous membranes and tachycardia
+*[[Shock#Endotoxic shock|Endotoxic shock]] with toxic mucous membranes and tachycardia
 ====Intestinal torsion/volvulus====
@@ Line 32: / Line 25: @@
 *nausea
 *retching
-*vomiting ± bloody diarrhoea
+*[[Vomiting|vomiting]] ± bloody diarrhoea
 *acute abdomen
 *abdominal fluid accumulation
@@ Line 38: / Line 31: @@
 ====Linear foreign body====
-*Vomiting; food, bile and/or phlegm
+*[[Vomiting|Vomiting]]; food, bile and/or phlegm
 *Anorexia, depression
 ===Laboratory Tests===
+====Haematology====
 *Mild dehydration to septic shock
-====Haematology====
 ====Biochemistry====
-*Hypochloraemia and hypokalaemia acid-base derangement is common in animals with upeer small intestinal obstruction.
+*Hypochloraemia and hypokalaemia acid-base derangement is common in animals with intestinal obstruction.
+*Metabolic alkalosis ± aciduria may occur with upper duodenal obstruction.
-====Other Tests====
 ===Diagnostic Imaging===
 ====Radiography====
-*Plain abdominal radiography may be all that is needed to reveal the cause of the obstruction.  Gas and fluid accumulation may be visible due to intestinal dilation.  Gravel sign due to accumuamay be present
+*Plain abdominal radiography may be all that is needed to reveal the cause of the obstruction.  Gas and fluid accumulation may be visible due to intestinal dilation.  Decreased serosal detail indicates peritoneal fluid accumulation and free gas in the abdomen suggests perforated intestines.  Gravel sign due to food particle accumulation may be present.  Displacement, bunching or plication may also be seen.
-*Contrast radiography may be needed if ileus and obstruction cannot easily be distinguished.
+*Contrast radiography may be needed if ileus and obstruction cannot easily be distinguished.  However, this may not always be feasible in an emergency situation.
 ====Ultrasonography====
-Most of the time, this is a more sensitive technique in revealing the cause of the obstruction compared to radiography.  Dilation and thickening of the wall of the intestine may be visible.
+Most of the time, this is a more sensitive technique in revealing the cause of the obstruction compared to radiography.  Dilation and thickening of the wall of the intestine may be revealed.
 ===Histopathology===
@@ Line 67: / Line 55: @@
 ==Treatment==
 ===Stabilisation===
-*Electrolyte and acid-base derangements are common in a vomiting animal.  These need to be addressed prior to anaesthesia.
+Fluid balance, electrolyte and acid-base derangements are common in a vomiting animal.  These need to be addressed prior to anaesthesia.
+===Antimicrbial===
+Broad spectrum antimicrobials, such as [[Penicillins|ampicillin]] or [[Cephalosporins|cephalosporin]] combined with [[Nitroimidazoles|metronidazole]], are usually given prophylactically prior to surgery.  This is vital if there are signs of sepsis or intestinal compromise.
 ===Surgery===
-*Once stabilised, the animal can be taken to surgery.
+Once stabilised, the animal can be taken to surgery.  Removal or resection of the obstruction is required.
 ==Prognosis==
-*Good, if there is no septic peritonitis and there is no need for a large resection of the intestines.
+This depends on type and severity of obstruction.  A simple obstruction with no signs of septic peritonitis has a good prognosis.  The prognosis is better in cases where there is no large resection of the intestines.  On the other hand, the prognosis is grave if there are signs of [[Neoplasia - Pathology #The Process of Metastasis|metastatic]] neoplasia.
 ==References==
@@ Line 81: / Line 71: @@
 *Hall, E.J, Simpson, J.W. and Williams, D.A. (2005) '''BSAVA Manual of Canine and Feline Gastroenterology (2nd Edition)''' ''BSAVA''
 *Nelson, R.W. and Couto, C.G. (2009) '''Small Animal Internal Medicine (Fourth Edition)''' ''Mosby Elsevier''.
-`
+{{Learning
+|Vetstream = [https://www.vetstream.com/canis/Content/Disease/dis00649.asp, Intestinal obstruction]<br>
+[https://www.vetstream.com/canis/Content/Disease/dis00650.asp, Linear foreign body]<br>[https://www.vetstream.com/canis/Content/Illustration/ill00394.asp, Linear foreign body - radiograph]<br>[https://www.vetstream.com/canis/Content/Disease/dis00652.asp, Intestinal strangulation]<br>[https://www.vetstream.com/canis/Content/Illustration/ill00389, Chronic partial obstruction - radiograph]
+|powerpoints = [[E-Lecture:Intestinal Obstructions]]
+}}
+[[Category:Intestine_-_Mechanical_Obstruction]]
+[[Category:To_Do_-_Clinical]]
+[[Category:Intestinal Diseases - Dog]][[Category:Intestinal Diseases - Cat]]