Intestinal invagination, which may also be known as intestinal intussusception, is a serious condition in which one part of the intestine slides into another, which can interrupt the passage of blood to that portion and cause a serious infection, obstruction, perforation of the intestine or until tissue death.
This alteration of the intestine is more frequent in children up to 3 years old, but it can also happen in adults, causing symptoms such as intense vomiting, swollen belly, severe abdominal pain, diarrhea and the presence of blood in the stool.
When these symptoms appear, an intestinal alteration should always be suspected and, therefore, it is important to go quickly to the hospital to identify the cause and start the appropriate treatment, avoiding complications.
Main symptoms
Intestinal invagination is more common in babies and, therefore, the most common initial symptom is sudden and intense crying, which appears for no apparent reason and does not improve.
However, as this change in the intestine also causes quite severe pain, the child may also bend his knees over the belly and be more irritated when moving the belly.
Usually, the pain appears and disappears over time, for between 10 to 20 minutes and, therefore, it is normal for the child to have crying attacks throughout the day. Other possible symptoms include:
- Stools with blood or mucus; Diarrhea; Frequent vomiting; Swollen belly; Fever above 38º C.
In the case of adults, intestinal invagination may be more difficult to identify because the symptoms are similar to other intestinal problems, such as gastroenteritis, for example, and, therefore, the diagnosis may take longer, being recommended to go to the hospital when the pain worsens or takes more than 1 day to disappear.
How to confirm the diagnosis
The diagnosis of intestinal invagination should be made at the hospital, as several tests such as X-rays, abdominal ultrasound or tomography may be needed to detect other problems that may cause similar symptoms, such as hernia, intestinal volvulus, gastroenteritis, appendicitis or testicular torsion, for example..
What are the possible causes
Most cases of intestinal invagination occur in children, so the cause is undefined, but it seems to be more frequent during the winter due to the presence of viruses in the body.
In adults, this complication seems to be more common as a result of a polyp, tumor or intestinal inflammation, although it can also appear in people who have had bariatric surgery.
How the treatment is done
Treatment for intestinal invagination should be started as soon as possible in the hospital, starting with the administration of serum directly into the vein to stabilize the organism. In addition, it may also be necessary to place a tube from the nose to the stomach, called a nasogastric tube, to remove fluids and air that may be putting pressure on the intestines.
Then, in the case of the child, the doctor may perform an air enema to try to place the intestine in the correct place, and it is rarely necessary to resort to surgery. As for adults, surgery is usually the best form of treatment, because in addition to correcting intestinal invagination, it also allows treating the problem that caused the intestinal change.
After surgery, it is normal for the intestine to not function normally between 24 to 48 hours and, therefore, during this period the person should rest and should not eat or drink. For this reason, it is recommended to remain hospitalized to receive serum directly into the vein, at least, until the intestinal transit returns to normal. To relieve the discomfort of surgery, the doctor usually prescribes the administration of paracetamol.
