Ileus
Ileus, sometimes called paralytic ileus - is the name given to the situation where the small bowel ceases to move. The most usual cause of this is a consequence of abdominal surgery: The bowel dislikes being handled and freezes; normal contractions only re-start after a period of time, during which it is necessary to use intravenous therapy to provide hydration and to drain stomach secretions using a tube passed via the nose (so-called “drip and suck”). Rarely, paralytic ileus is caused by low levels of potassium in the blood.
Meconium ileus occurs in infants with Cystic Fibrosis, an inherited condition where there is an abnormality in a gene responsible for the production of a carrier system which transfers chloride and other ions across membranes. All secretions become very thick and sticky (so it affects the lung and pancreas as well as the gut). Meconium is the substance produced by the foetus which is present in the bowel at birth - if it’s very thick and sticky as a result of Cystic Fibrosis then the bowel can’t move it without assistance.
|
