What causes intestinal blockage?

Intestinal obstruction, also known as intestinal obstruction, is a common acute disease. It is very urgent when it occurs. If you do not pay attention to timely treatment, the cost will be relatively high. Patients often develop lumps. There are many reasons for intestinal obstruction, including mechanical intestinal obstruction, dynamic intestinal obstruction, etc., which require timely and good treatment. Let us learn about this aspect below.

What causes intestinal blockage?

Classification by cause of intestinal obstruction ① Mechanical intestinal obstruction: more common. It is because organic lesions cause the intestinal cavity to become smaller, resulting in obstruction in the passage of intestinal contents. The causes of the disease are blockage of the intestinal tube by worm balls, fecal masses, stones and foreign objects, torsion of the intestine, entrapment in the hernia sac neck, compression and traction by adhesions, and compression of the lumen by tumors and other intra-abdominal masses; or intestinal wall lesions caused by tumors, intussusception, and inflammation. ② Dynamic intestinal obstruction: due to nerve inhibition or toxin effects, intestinal peristalsis is lost or intestinal spasm occurs, which stops the flow of intestinal contents without mechanical obstruction. ③ Vascular intestinal obstruction: rare, it is caused by mesenteric vascular embolism or thrombosis, which causes intestinal blood flow obstruction and loss of power. Classification by the presence or absence of blood circulation obstruction ① Simple intestinal obstruction: only the passage of contents is blocked, but there is no blood circulation obstruction in the intestine. ⑨ Strangulated intestinal obstruction: acute ischemia of the corresponding intestinal segment may occur due to thrombosis, embolism or compression of the mesenteric blood vessels; or in simple obstruction, the intestinal wall may be obstructed due to high expansion of the intestine and compression of the small blood vessels.

Clinical manifestations

Abdominal pain: Mechanical intestinal obstruction manifests as paroxysmal abdominal colic, which is caused by increased intestinal peristalsis in order to overcome the obstruction. The abdominal pain may be accompanied by intestinal rumbling. If the intervals between abdominal pains continue to shorten, or even become persistent abdominal pain, it may be a manifestation of strangulated intestinal obstruction. Vomiting: In the early stages of intestinal obstruction, vomiting is reflexive and the vomitus is food or gastric juice. It is generally believed that the higher the obstruction site, the earlier and more frequent the vomiting occurs; while in low-level obstruction and colon obstruction, vomiting occurs late and less frequently; the vomitus may be fecal-like. Abdominal distension: appears later. Abdominal distension is not obvious in high intestinal obstruction, but is obvious in low intestinal obstruction and colon obstruction. The anus stops passing gas or bowel movements: After complete intestinal obstruction occurs, the patient often stops passing gas or bowel movements. However, in a small number of patients, there is still residual feces and gas below the obstruction, which can still be discharged, so the existence of intestinal obstruction cannot be denied. Physical examination generally shows an acutely distressed facial appearance, and early vital signs generally do not change much. In the late stage, symptoms such as increased body temperature, rapid breathing, decreased blood pressure, and increased pulse may appear.