Intussusception: clinical prediction of outcome of barium reduction

Patients with intussusception who have necrotic bowel requiring bowel resection or who are at major risk of perforation from attempted hydrostatic reduction may be better managed without barium reduction. Ideally, the clinician would like to identify such patients at presentation. Two groups of patients, representing the extreme ends of the intussusception treatment spectrum were investigated in order to highlight the clinical features of patients in whom an attempted barium reduction is not justified. A group of 200 patients who had successful and safe hydrostatic reduction was compared with 104 patients who ultimately required bowel resection. Four features were found to be indicators of an increased likelihood of resection: age 3 months or less, or greater than 2 years, duration of symptoms greater than 24 h, presence of small bowel obstruction on plain radiology, and clinical assessment of dehydration greater than 5%. The validity of these features as prognostic indicators was assessed by applying them to all patients who had attempted barium reduction to see how they predicted patient outcome. In isolation, each feature was found to be compatible with a safe and successful hydrostatic reduction. The rate of resection was increased in patients with multiple adverse features and in these patients the enema technique may require modification. Patients with three or four adverse features had an unacceptably high incidence of gangrenous bowel requiring resection and a low likelihood of successful hydrostatic reduction. It is believed that attempts at reduction are not appropriate in these patients.