Sixty-two episodes of acute intussusception: a Jamaican prospective study - abstract

ABSTRACT

Data were collected prospectively on 57 patients presenting with 62 episodes of acute intussusception between September, 1992 and August, 1994. Both operative and hydrostatic methods (barium, air, saline) of reduction were used. Fifty-seven episodes were subject to hydrostatic reduction, 31 of them being reduced successfully, a success rate of 54 percent. Barium, saline and air were employed in 42, 11 and 4 cases, respectively. There were 2 cases of barium colonic perforation leading to mortality in 1. Among 31 cases not having successful hydrostatic reduction, 15 had ileocolic intussusception, 7 had caecocolic, 6 had ileo-ileo-colic, 1 had ileoileal and 2 were found spontaneously reduced at surgery. We believe that hydrostatic methods should be a first treatment option for acute intussusception in third world institutions. Our study shows that satisfactory rates of reduction can be achieved outside of the first world with the main advantages relating to cost and patient morbidity (AU)