Is intussusception in children serious?

Written by Hu Qi Feng
Pediatrics
Updated on September 08, 2024
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Intussusception is a life-threatening emergency, and its reduction is an urgent treatment measure that should be performed immediately once diagnosed. In the early stages, the child generally appears healthy, with normal body temperature and no obvious symptoms of poisoning. However, as the condition progresses and the duration of the intussusception increases, it can lead to intestinal necrosis or peritonitis, causing a deterioration in the overall condition. Commonly, severe dehydration, high fever, coma, shock, and other serious symptoms of poisoning may occur.

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Written by He Zong Quan
General Surgery
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Can I take a bath after an enema for intussusception?

Patients with intussusception may experience a variety of symptoms including abdominal pain, a mass, and bloody stools, and may need an air enema for reduction. If symptoms disappear after the enema reduction and imaging suggests that the intussusception has been reduced, then the condition is improving. Since the enema does not cause localized wounds or obvious external trauma, it does not affect bathing. Intussusception often occurs in children, while in adults it is usually due to a structural disease, especially tumors, and a definitive diagnosis is needed for proper management. As long as the patient has not undergone surgical treatment, they can bathe.

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Written by Hu Qi Feng
Pediatrics
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Can children with intussusception drink water?

Intussusception can cause symptoms such as abdominal pain and vomiting. When intussusception has not been reduced, it is not recommended to drink water or eat food, because the vomit can lead to choking. It can also cause vomit to enter the trachea, leading to aspiration pneumonia, suffocation, and other serious symptoms. Therefore, generally after the intussusception is reduced and there is anal exhaust, proving that the intestines are unobstructed, then drinking water is permitted.

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Written by Hu Qi Feng
Pediatrics
36sec home-news-image

Is intussusception in children serious?

Intussusception is a life-threatening emergency, and its reduction is an urgent treatment measure that should be performed immediately once diagnosed. In the early stages, the child generally appears healthy, with normal body temperature and no obvious symptoms of poisoning. However, as the condition progresses and the duration of the intussusception increases, it can lead to intestinal necrosis or peritonitis, causing a deterioration in the overall condition. Commonly, severe dehydration, high fever, coma, shock, and other serious symptoms of poisoning may occur.

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home-news-image
Written by Hu Qi Feng
Pediatrics
49sec home-news-image

How many days will pneumatic reduction for intussusception take to recover?

The indications of successful reduction of intussusception by air enema treatment are as follows: First, after the removal of the tube, a large amount of foul-smelling mucousy bloody stool and yellow feces are expelled. Second, the patient quickly falls asleep, no longer cries, and ceases to vomit. Third, the abdomen is soft and flat, with no palpable mass as before. Fourth, after the enema reduction, 0.5-1 grams of activated charcoal is administered orally; if charcoal residue is expelled within six to eight hours, it indicates a successful reduction. However, even after successful reduction, it is necessary to remain under observation in the hospital for two to three days to monitor for any recurrence of the intussusception.

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Written by Yan Xin Liang
Pediatrics
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Symptoms of intussusception in babies

Intussusception in infants initially manifests as vomiting, including the contents of the stomach and sometimes even a coffee-colored liquid. Subsequently, the infant may appear inconsolably fussy and experience abdominal pain, which is communicated through crying, as infants are unable to speak. Additionally, the stool may appear like jam or contain pus and blood, which is due to bleeding from the intestinal mucosa and intestinal tubes. Upon observing these symptoms, it is crucial to seek medical attention promptly and conduct further examinations at a hospital, such as an abdominal ultrasound and an upright abdominal X-ray, to confirm the diagnosis.