Small bowel obstruction (SBO): The Daily PANCE Blueprint
Which of the following is the most common cause of small bowel obstruction?
A. Post-surgical adhesions
B. Malignancy
C. Incarcerated hernia
D. Volvulus
E. Crohn’s disease
Answer and topic summary
The answer is A. Post-surgical adhesions
A bowel obstruction happens when the normal flow of the GI tract is interrupted. The most common cause of small bowel obstruction is intraperitoneal adhesions (due to previous surgeries). Other causes include hernias or neoplasms. Clinical manifestations include nausea, vomiting, crampy abdominal pain, and obstipation (inability to defecate). On physical exam, you may note abdominal distention, tinkling high-pitch sounds on auscultation, and hyperresonance to percussion. Initial diagnostic modalities include an abdominal x-ray and CT with contrast. These patients require admission for further evaluation and management. Surgery should be consulted.
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Smarty PANCE Content Blueprint Review:
Covered under ⇒ PANCE Blueprint GI and Nutrition ⇒ ⇒
Also covered as part of the Family Medicine EOR, Emergency Medicine EOR, and General Surgery EOR topic list
