Intussusception in infancy and childhood: evaluation of a prognostic scoring pattern

This is a retrospective analysis of 82 patients of intussusception in infancy and childhood. Males were more than females in the ratio 2.4 : 1, the ages varied from 2 months to 12 years. Majority (73%) were less than 1 year old. Commonest presentations were pain, vomiting, distension, palpable lump and blood and mucus in stools. The management of these patients varied from barium enema reduction (3 cases), reduction by surgery and manipulation (59 cases) and resection with primary anastomosis (20 cases). We analysed our patients by giving scores based on clinical criteria. We concluded that the patients in our circumstances do not show any correlation of the scoring pattern with morbidity or mortality, chances of reduction by barium enema or manually. Resection, however, did correlate with a high incidence of death (75%). Resections were required slightly more in ileo-ileal intussusceptions than in those having a colonic involvement, morbidity in the form of wound dehiscence, and sepsis was higher in those patients who had undergone resections.