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 Yao Li Qin

Pediatrics

56sec

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How is intussusception diagnosed?

Intussusception is one of the common acute abdominal conditions in infants and young children. The primary clinical symptoms include abdominal pain, vomiting, and "jam-like" stools, with a mass often palpable in the abdomen. Initially, the overall condition of the child is generally fine, but in the later stages, symptoms such as dehydration, lethargy, coma, and shock can appear. Any healthy infant or young child who suddenly experiences episodic abdominal pain or periodic, regular bouts of crying, accompanied by vomiting, bloody stools, and a sausage-shaped mass in the abdomen, should be highly suspected of having intussusception. Once intussusception is confirmed, timely enema treatment should be administered to the child, and if the opportunity for an enema has passed, surgical treatment should be considered.

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Written by Hu Qi Feng

Pediatrics

53sec

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Causes of intussusception in children

The etiology of intussusception is divided into primary and secondary types, with 95% being primary, which is common in infants and young children. In infants, the mesentery of the ileocecal region is not yet fully fixed and has a larger degree of mobility, which is a structural factor conducive to the occurrence of intussusception. Secondary cases account for about 5%, often secondary to Meckel's diverticulum, intestinal polyps, intestinal tumors, intestinal duplications, and abdominal purpura causing swelling and thickening of the intestinal wall, which can lead to intussusception. Certain factors may cause a change in the rhythmic movement of the intestines leading to disorder, thereby inducing intussusception, such as changes in diet, viral infections, and diarrhea.

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Written by Hu Qi Feng

Pediatrics

1min 9sec

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How is intussusception in infants caused?

Intussusception is divided into primary and secondary types, with 95% being primary, commonly seen in infants. This is due to the fact that the mesentery at the ileocecal region in infants is not fully fixed and has greater mobility, which are structural factors that facilitate intussusception. For the 5% of secondary cases, these are more common in older children, whose intestines often have clear organic causes for intussusception. These causes include the inversion of a Meckel's diverticulum into the ileal lumen serving as a lead point; intestinal polyps, intestinal tumors, intestinal duplications, and abdominal purpura can cause thickening and swelling of the bowel wall leading to intussusception. Additionally, certain facilitating factors can disrupt the rhythm of intestinal peristalsis, thereby inducing intussusception. Changes in diet, viral infections, and diarrhea are among the factors that can trigger intussusception.

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Written by Quan Xiang Mei

Pediatrics

55sec

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Does intussusception cause diarrhea?

Intussusception is a common surgical condition in infants and young children, characterized primarily by symptoms such as abdominal pain, crying, abdominal distension, the passage of jelly-like stools, and vomiting. Some children may also experience diarrhea and frequent passage of jelly-like stools, where the symptoms of intussusception may not be particularly noticeable, leading parents to possibly overlook them. Therefore, if a child has diarrhea accompanied by jelly-like stools, it is crucial to take the child to the hospital for a consultation and an ultrasound to confirm whether it is caused by intussusception. If left untreated for a long time, it can lead to ischemic necrosis of the intestinal mucosa, necessitating surgical treatment.

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Written by Hu Qi Feng

Pediatrics

31sec

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Can infants with intussusception sleep?

Intussusception presents as abdominal pain, which occurs in sudden, severe, and periodic episodes. The child cries restlessly with a pale face, and the pain lasts several minutes or longer. The pain then subsides, and during this relief, the child falls asleep. The pain reoccurs every ten to twenty minutes. Continuous episodes occur until the intussusception is successfully reduced, after which the child calms down and falls asleep without further crying or vomiting.