Disorders of the Gastrointestinal System, 2nd Edition
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Figure 12. Intussusception
Note . Remesz., O. (2013). Intussusception. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Intussusception_EN.svg CC BY-SA 3.0.
Intussusception is observed most often in infants between the ages of six months and three years and is the most common cause of intestinal obstruction in this age group (Vo & Sato, 2022). It is three times more common in male infants than in fe- male infants, and in cases seen in children older than four years, males are eight times more likely to develop an intussus- ception (Chahine, 2018). Although it can affect adults and neonates, intussuscep- tion in these groups is rare (Vo & Sato, 2022). The exact cause of intussusception is unknown; however, because seasonal incidence peaks have been identified in both the spring–summer period that co- incides with enteritis and the midwinter period when respiratory and gastrointes- tinal tract infections are prevalent, there may be an association of intussusception with viral infections (Vo & Sato, 2022). In children, a malignant or benign growth in the intestine may trigger the problem. Some genetic or congenital disorders have also been linked to intussusception, including hemophilia, cystic fibrosis, and
Henoch– Schönlein purpura. Intussuscep- tion in adults is extremely rare and is as- sociated with other underlying conditions or traumas that scar the intestinal tract or abdomen and with some abnormal growths such as polyps and tumors (Vo & Sato, 2022). As noted in Case Study 12, intussus- ception can occur in adults and children. Because this is a rare occurrence, nurs- es must be knowledgeable regarding presenting signs and symptoms of in- tussusception in all ages. There are sev- eral typical signs of intussusception in infants and children, although these are hallmark signs (Vo & Sato, 2022). The first sign of intussusception in an infant might be abrupt, loud crying alternating with periods of lethargy and malaise. As time passes, the episodes of distress oc- cur more frequently and last longer (Vo & Sato, 2022).
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