Characteristics of pain in bowel obstruction
Pain is not, in general, the most prominent symptom of bowel obstruction.
The site of pain reflects the embryological origin of the piece of gut involved:
- upper abdominal pain is due to foregut involvement: - the foregut ends at the ampulla Vater
- mid-abdominal pain is due to midgut involvement: - the midgut ends two-thirds along the transverse colon
- lower abdominal pain is due to hindgut involvement
The pain is usually colicky because it is caused by peristalsis trying to overcome the obstruction. If the pain is constant then this is suggestive of strangulation.
Reference
- Catena F, De Simone B, Coccolini F, et al; Bowel obstruction: a narrative review for all physicians. World J Emerg Surg. 2019 Apr 29;14:20
Related pages
Create an account to add page annotations
Annotations allow you to add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation. E.g. a website or number. This information will always show when you visit this page.