Overview and Management of Small Bowel Obstruction versus Ileus: A Primer for All Physicians.

The conditions of small bowel obstruction and ileus are ones with a great deal of overlap with respect to presentation and differential diagnosis but vary substantially with respect to management. These disorders are frequently encountered by members of the healthcare team across almost every specialty in one way or another. Understanding safe and expeditious methods to identify and distinguish these conditions is important for all providers to understand. This article aims to compare both disorders, briefly discuss the pathophysiology and presentation, give a differential diagnosis for these disorders, and pursue a course of diagnosis and therapy in an appropriate, safe, and cost-effective manner.