Predictive Factors for Failure of Air Enema Reduction in Childhood Intussusception
Keywords:
Intussusception, air enema reduction, predictive factor, success rate, failure rateAbstract
Background: Intussusception is the most common cause of intestinal obstruction in children under two yearsof age. Nonoperative reduction using air enema (AE) is an established treatment of childhood intusseception with
the success rate of 70% at our institute.
Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate predictive factors for failure of AE reduction in childhood
intussusception.
Materials and Methods: Medical records of patients with intussusceptions who were treated by AE reduction
at Queen Sirikit National Institute of Child Health from January 2009 to December 2013 were reviewed. The study
emphasized on the success and failure rates of AE reduction of intussusceptions including risk factors affecting
outcomes of AE reduction. The statistical differences were analyzed by Chi-square test and relative risk (RR) with
95% confidence interval. A p-value less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant.
Results: Two hundred and sixty-eight patients (173 males and 95 females) with 284 episodes of intussusception
were treated by AE reduction. Of the total 284 attempted AE reduction, 196 (69.0%) were successful, while 88
(31.0%) were unsuccessful. The significant risk factors for failure of AE reduction included body temperature over
37.8 °C (p<0.001, RR = 3.62), lethargy (p=0.001, RR=2.68), rectal bleeding (p=0.003, RR= 2.34), abdominal distension
(p=0.004, RR= 2.23), dehydration (p=0.03, RR=2.30), palpable rectal mass (p<0.001, RR= 19.93), palpable abdominal
mass (p<0.001, RR= 2.72), radiological findings of complete small bowel obstruction (p<0.001, RR= 2.70), visible soft
tissue mass in the left side of abdomen from plain abdominal films (p<0.001, RR=6.92) and intussusception at
sigmoid and rectum (p<0.001, RR=3.25). Complication rates were increased in patients with failed AE reduction
(p<0.001, RR=25.55).
Conclusion: Clinical presentations and radiological findings could be used to predict failure of AE reduction
in childhood intussusception. AE reduction should not be performed in the patients with palpable intussusceptions
in rectum by rectal examination because failure rate was nearly 100% in the present study.
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