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Intestinal Obstruction

By

The Manual's Editorial Staff

Reviewed/Revised Jan 2023
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What is an intestinal obstruction (blocked intestine)?

You have a small intestine and a large intestine. The small intestine is a long coiled tube that connects your stomach to your large intestine. The large intestine is shorter but wider and leads from the end of the small intestine to the rectum. Your intestines receive food and liquids from your stomach. They digest and absorb most of this material. What's left over leaves the body as stool (poop) through the rectum and anus.

The small and large intestines each can become blocked.

The Digestive System

The Digestive System

What causes a blocked intestine?

In babies, blocked intestines are caused by:

In adults, blocked intestines are caused by:

What are the symptoms of a blocked intestine?

Symptoms of a blocked intestine usually include:

  • Cramping pain in your belly

  • Bloating

  • Not feeling hungry

  • Throwing up

  • Not passing stool and gas

Sometimes blood flow to part of the blocked intestine is cut off. If this happens, some of the intestine will die, and you may have:

How can doctors tell if I have a blocked intestine?

How do doctors treat a blocked intestine?

Doctors will keep you in the hospital and:

  • Have you not eat or drink anything

  • Pass a tube through your nose into your intestine (NG tube) to suck out everything behind the blockage

  • Give you fluids directly into a vein (IV)

Sometimes the blockage goes away with the suction tube. If it doesn't go away, you may need surgery to fix the blockage.

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