Intussusception in children presenting to the emergency department

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Ailie Lochhead1, Roaa Jamjoom, Savithiri Ratnapalan

  • 11University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Clinical Pediatrics
|October 19, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Intussusception in children often occurs with concurrent infections. Prompt diagnosis is crucial, especially in those with abdominal pain or crying, as it can affect treatment outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Gastroenterology
  • Surgical Pediatrics

Background:

  • Intussusception is a common cause of bowel obstruction in children.
  • Concurrent infections and specific patient factors may influence intussusception presentation and management.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze the characteristics, concurrent conditions, and treatment outcomes of pediatric intussusception cases.
  • To identify key clinical indicators for suspecting intussusception in children.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective chart review of 152 children with 170 intussusception episodes (March 2005-March 2007).
  • Analysis of patient demographics, intussusception location (small vs. large bowel), associated conditions, and interventions.

Main Results:

  • 30% of intussusception cases had concurrent infections.
  • Large bowel intussusception (n=114) had a 91% air enema reduction success rate; 8.8% required bowel resection.
  • Small bowel intussusception (n=38) was linked to gastrostomy tubes in 42%, with 81% needing tube shortening.

Conclusions:

  • Concurrent infections are common in pediatric intussusception.
  • Clinical suspicion for intussusception should be heightened in children with abdominal pain or crying, considering the varied age range and illness incidence.

Keywords:
air enema reductionintussusceptions in childrenlarge bowel intussusceptionspresentationrecurrencesmall bowel intussusceptions

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