# Therapeutic use of oral gastrografin in treating acute adhesive small bowel obstruction

## TL;DR

This study shows that oral gastrografin can effectively treat many cases of acute adhesive small bowel obstruction without surgery.

## Contribution

The study demonstrates the effectiveness of oral gastrografin as a non-surgical treatment for adhesive small bowel obstruction.

## Key findings

- Initial conservative treatment resolved 67.02% of adhesive SBO cases within 48 hours.
- Gastrografin challenge resolved 74.2% of remaining cases within 24 hours.
- Oral gastrografin is a safe and effective alternative to surgery for many patients with adhesive SBO.

## Abstract

Adhesions are a major cause of small bowel obstruction, posing significant challenges in diagnosis, treatment and prevention.
Adhesive small bowel obstruction has a substantial impact on morbidity and imposes a considerable socioeconomic burden. Therefore, it is
of interest to study the therapeutic use of oral gastrografin in treating acute adhesive small bowel obstruction. Acute small bowel
obstruction (SBO), accounting for 6-30% of cases. Adhesions are responsible for approximately 65-75% of SBO cases, necessitating careful
assessment and management. This study, conducted at Chirayu Medical College & Hospital, Bhopal, India from June 2021 to May 2022,
included 87 patients with 94 episodes of adhesive SBO. Initial conservative treatment resolved 63 episodes (67.02%) within 48 hours. The
remaining 31 episodes (32.98%) were subjected to a Gastrografin challenge, where 23 cases (74.2%) showed successful dye transit to the
colon within 24 hours, while 8 cases (25.8%) required surgical intervention. The findings suggest the Oral Gastrografin represents a
significant advancement in the conservative management of acute adhesive small bowel obstruction, offering a non-invasive, effective and
safe alternative to surgery for many patients. Its integration into clinical practice can enhance patient care and improve clinical
outcomes in the management of ASBO.