Do Clinical Findings Predict Intussusception in Children?
Intussusception occurs when part of the bowel telescopes into a distal segment, resulting in intestinal obstruction. If not diagnosed promptly, complications may occur, including arterial obstruction, bowel necrosis, perforation and even death. The initial presentation of intussusception is often nonspecific, limited to abdominal pain and vomiting. Early on, it easily can be misdiagnosed as gastroenteritis. Results of published studies indicate that clinical or epidemiologic factors predictive for this disorder include age less than one year, male sex, vomiting, abdominal mass, abdominal pain, rectal bleeding and lethargy. A diagnosis of intussusception can usually be confirmed by an air or liquid enema, or sometimes by ultrasound examination. Kuppermann and colleagues performed a retrospective study to identify and validate independent predictors of intussusception in young children by using multivariate statistical techniques. Independent Predictors of Intussusception Identified in t