What department should I go to for infant intussusception?

Written by Hu Qi Feng
Pediatrics
Updated on September 01, 2024
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Intussusception often occurs in infants and young children, mainly presenting with vomiting, abdominal pain, and bloody stools. The first department usually visited is the emergency pediatrics. If intussusception is confirmed, treatment may involve surgery or non-surgical reduction. Therefore, after confirming intussusception, the patient needs to be transferred to pediatric surgery or general surgery for inpatient treatment.

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Written by Zhang Peng
General Surgery
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Causes of Intussusception in the Elderly

Intussusception refers to an obstruction caused by one segment of the intestine entering an adjacent segment, which can occur at any age. In adults, over 85% of intussusception cases can be attributed to organic lesions, typically tumors, but also possibly due to polyps or diverticula in the intestines. Typical symptoms of intussusception may include abdominal pain, an abdominal mass, and jelly-like bloody stool. In adults, intussusception is generally treated surgically. The surgical approach often involves exploratory laparotomy, possibly involving intestinal resection and anastomosis. For the resected part, reinforced suturing is usually required. If a primary anastomosis cannot be tolerated, procedures such as creating a stoma or exteriorizing the intestine may be performed, awaiting stabilization of the condition before further treatment.

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Written by Hu Qi Feng
Pediatrics
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Can intussusception in children cause fever?

In the early stages of intussusception, the child generally remains in good condition, with normal body temperature and no symptoms of systemic poisoning. As the disease progresses and worsens, complications such as intestinal necrosis or peritonitis may develop, leading to deterioration of the overall condition. At this point, severe dehydration, high fever, lethargy, coma, and shock, among other symptoms of poisoning, can occur. Therefore, fever can indeed appear in the later stages of intussusception.

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Written by He Zong Quan
General Surgery
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Intussusception earliest symptoms

The earliest symptoms of intussusception are primarily abdominal symptoms, including mild abdominal distension, abdominal pain, with pain mainly around the navel. This pain generally does not show significant relief and tends to intensify. There may also be cessation of passing gas and stool, and the patient might sometimes experience nausea and vomiting. If the symptoms of intussusception do not alleviate, we carry out an abdominal imaging examination, which may reveal fluid levels, indicating intestinal obstruction, and the intussuscepted bowel can be found. At this point, early air enema reduction can be performed. If the condition is not treated timely, it can lead to aggravated symptoms of intestinal obstruction, and even require surgical treatment.

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Written by Hu Qi Feng
Pediatrics
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Caused by infantile intussusception

Intussusception is divided into primary and secondary types, with 95% being primary cases, most commonly seen in infants and young children. This is due to the fact that the mesentery of the ileocecal part in infants and young children is not yet fully fixed and has a greater degree of mobility, which are structural factors that facilitate the occurrence of intussusception. The remaining 5% are secondary cases generally occurring in older children, where the affected intestines often have a clear organic cause, such as a Meckel's diverticulum turning into the ileal lumen, serving as the starting point for intussusception. Other causes like intestinal polyps, tumors, duplications, or abdominal purpura can cause the intestinal wall to swell and thicken, which can also trigger intussusception.

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Written by Li Chang Yue
General Surgery
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Can you drink water with intussusception?

Patients with intestinal intussusception should avoid drinking water as much as possible. Once intussusception occurs, it can lead to a complete intestinal obstruction. Drinking water at this time can easily increase the burden on the intestines, causing nausea, vomiting, abdominal distension, and a series of other problems. For patients with intestinal intussusception, an emergency intestinal barium air pressure procedure can be performed to reposition the intestines. If this fails, surgical treatment should be pursued actively. Currently, patients with intussusception can be treated with traditional open surgery to release the intussusception, or using laparoscopic interventions to resolve it. Both types of surgery are very effective in treating intussusception and typically have satisfactory outcomes.