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

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.