What is the protocol or general recovery plan for a small bowel obstruction?

One Comment

1. happydawg says:

   October 3, 2009 at 9:33 pm

   1. You are put in the hospital and IV fluids are started
   2. They tell you you are NPO which means you cannot eat or
   drink anything.
   3. The nurse will come in and ask you if your passing flatus
   usually once a shift.
   4. Ng tube is passed thru the nose into the stomach to keep
   your abdomen from blowing up like a big balloon and to
   keep you from vomiting. All of the contents of your stomach
   is sucked into a canister on the wall or floor
   5. It usually takes a couple of days for a small bowel obstruction
   to resolve. Usually during this time XR;s are taken of the
   abdomen about every 24 hours.
   6. When you can poop, hear bowel sounds, and are passing gas
   it means the bowel obstruction is resolved. If this does not
   occur, surgery becomes necessary which opens up a whole new scenario.
   PS: I am just a RN and work on a surgical floor.