Decreased bowel sounds

WikiDoc Resources for Decreased bowel sounds
Articles
Most recent articles on Decreased bowel sounds Most cited articles on Decreased bowel sounds Review articles on Decreased bowel sounds Articles on Decreased bowel sounds in N Eng J Med, Lancet, BMJ
Media
Powerpoint slides on Decreased bowel sounds Images of Decreased bowel sounds Photos of Decreased bowel sounds Podcasts & MP3s on Decreased bowel sounds Videos on Decreased bowel sounds
Evidence Based Medicine
Cochrane Collaboration on Decreased bowel sounds Bandolier on Decreased bowel sounds TRIP on Decreased bowel sounds
Clinical Trials
Ongoing Trials on Decreased bowel sounds at Clinical Trials.gov Trial results on Decreased bowel sounds Clinical Trials on Decreased bowel sounds at Google
Guidelines / Policies / Govt
US National Guidelines Clearinghouse on Decreased bowel sounds NICE Guidance on Decreased bowel sounds NHS PRODIGY Guidance FDA on Decreased bowel sounds CDC on Decreased bowel sounds
Books
Books on Decreased bowel sounds
News
Decreased bowel sounds in the news Be alerted to news on Decreased bowel sounds News trends on Decreased bowel sounds
Commentary
Blogs on Decreased bowel sounds
Definitions
Definitions of Decreased bowel sounds
Patient Resources / Community
Patient resources on Decreased bowel sounds Discussion groups on Decreased bowel sounds Patient Handouts on Decreased bowel sounds Directions to Hospitals Treating Decreased bowel sounds Risk calculators and risk factors for Decreased bowel sounds
Healthcare Provider Resources
Symptoms of Decreased bowel sounds Causes & Risk Factors for Decreased bowel sounds Diagnostic studies for Decreased bowel sounds Treatment of Decreased bowel sounds
Continuing Medical Education (CME)
CME Programs on Decreased bowel sounds
International
Decreased bowel sounds en Espanol Decreased bowel sounds en Francais
Business
Decreased bowel sounds in the Marketplace Patents on Decreased bowel sounds
Experimental / Informatics
List of terms related to Decreased bowel sounds

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

Associate Editor-In-Chief: Cafer Zorkun, M.D., Ph.D. [2]

Overview

• Sensitivity and specificity of the auscultation of bowel sounds are quite low.
• Decreased bowel sounds can range from hunger pains to an impending abdominal catastrophe.
• One must ascultate for a mininum of five minutes before declaring an absence of bowel sounds.

Differential Diagnosis

• Acute appendicitis
• Adynamic ileus
• Benign etiologies
• Black widow spider bite
• Complete bowel obstruction
• Diabetic coma
• Diverticulitis
• Hypoparathyroidism
• Peritonitis
• Intestinal ischemia
• Myocardial Infarction
• Pancreatitis
• Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
• Peritonitis
• Perforated diverticulum
• Perforated gall bladder
• Perforated gastric ulcer
• Rib fractures
• Ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm
• Ruptured ectopic pregnancy
• Solid organ injury
• Spinal injury

Diagnosis

History and Symptoms

• Complete history including:

  • Characterization of pain
  • Ascultate before palpation

Physical Examination

• Complete physical exam including rectal exam

Appearance of the Patient

• Abdominal guarding, rebound, tenderness and appear very ill (patients with peritonitis)

Laboratory Findings

• Complete blood count (CBC)
• Liver function tests (LFTs)
• Glucose
• Amylase
• Blood urea nitrogen (BUN) / creatinine
• Calcium
• Lipase
• Urinalysis

Electrolyte and Biomarker Studies

• Electrolytes

MRI and CT

• CT scan (abdominal) may be indicated

Echocardiography or Ultrasound

• Ultrasound may be indicated for gynecologic concerns

Treatment

• Treatment should not be based solely on bowel sounds
• Treatment specific to underlying etiology
• For those patients with ileus, bowel rest and IV hydration
• Ambulation is suggested
• Correct electrolytes
• Discontinue use of constipating drugs
• Nasogastric decompression

Acute Pharmacotherapies

• Prokinetic drugs (ileus)

Surgery and Device Based Therapy

• In patients with peritonitis, surgical entervention is usually required

Acknowledgements

The content on this page was first contributed by

List of contributors:

---

For Patients

Template:WikiDoc Sources