Part of the intestine slides into an adjacent part of the intestine
What is it?
Part of the intestine blocks (or telescopes) another section of the intestines. It can occur in individuals of any age group, but it most frequently affects infants and young children.
Causes: infections (viral), inflammation, structural irregularities, tumors, or other underlying conditions.
Symptoms
Abdominal pain that causes child to draw knees to abdomen.
Bile-stained fecal vomit
“Currant jelly” stools (stools that contain blood and mucus)
Abdominal distension or swelling
Diarrhea or Inability to pass gas or stool
Palpable sausage-shaped mass in RUQ.
In infants, persistent crying & pulling up the legs towards the chest.
May resolve by itself. Child will pass normal stool
Nursing Priorities
Monitor for perforation and shock (tachycadia, changes of LOC, respiratory distress).
Decompression with NG tube
Hydrostatic reduction via an enema (Air of fluid is administered via the rectum to get rid of the intussusception). Do only if no signs of perforation or shock.
Surgery
Intussusception has resolved if client passes normal stool.