Intestinal obstruction

Intestinal obstruction, in layman's terms, means the passage is blocked, referring to the inability of intestinal contents to pass through and move smoothly in the intestine. When the passage of intestinal contents is obstructed, a series of symptoms such as abdominal distension, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and defecation disorders may occur. In severe cases, it can lead to impaired blood supply to the intestinal wall, followed by intestinal necrosis, which can be fatal if not actively treated. It usually refers to the small intestine (jejunum, ileum) and the colon (ascending colon, transverse colon, descending colon, sigmoid colon). Acute intestinal obstruction is one of the most common surgical acute abdomens and is frequently encountered in the emergency department. Due to various reasons, the mortality rate remains relatively high, at approximately 5%-10%; if strangulated intestinal obstruction occurs, the mortality rate can rise to 10%-20%.