The following is from the brief and excellent article Resource (1) below:
Point-of-care ultrasound helps the acute care physician answer the following questions:
- Is the bowel obstructed?
- What is the type of obstruction (mechanical or functional)?
- Where is the site of the obstruction?
- What is the cause of the obstruction?
- Is the bowel necrotic and does the patient need emergency surgery?
- What is the clinical progress in patients treated conservatively? (1)
Ultrasound for Small Bowel Obstruction, by Dr. Tahisha Nicole Tolbert & Dr. Eitan Dickman is an excellent nine minute Vimeo video (July 2, 2013) of the Society of Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM). There are a total of twenty-three ultrasound videos on Vimeo from the Academy of Emergency Ultrasound of the SAEM.
A one minute YouTube video with examples of small bowel obstruction on ultrasound: Bedside Emergency Ultrasound Case: Small Bowel Obstruction
Another excellent one minute YouTube video: Small Bowel Obstruction Ultrasound from One Minute Ultrasound.
What follows are some slides from Ultrasound for Small Bowel Obstruction above:
Additionl Resources:
(1) The role of ultrasound in the management of intestinal obstruction. [PubMed Abstract] [Full Text HTML] J Emerg Trauma Shock. 2012 Jan-Mar; 5(1): 84–86.
(2) Transabdominal ultrasonography of the small bowel. [PubMed Abstract] [Full Text HTML] [Full Text PDF] Gastroenterol Res Pract. 2013;2013:896704. doi: 10.1155/2013/896704. Epub 2013 Nov 19.
(3) An outstanding but very basic eleven minute YouTube video review Small Bowel Obstruction.
