Know what to do if you have bowel obstruction - for women with gynecologic cancer.
In this video, you will learn what to do if you have bowel obstruction.
This includes knowing if you have bowel obstruction, how to manage partial bowel obstruction, how
to manage complete bowel obstruction, your treatment options, and how to prevent bowel
obstruction from getting worse.
How do I know if I have bowel obstruction?
If you have the following symptoms, you may develop bowel obstruction.
These symptoms are: no poo for more than 2 days, if this is different from your normal
pattern.
Bloating – your stomach feels swollen or very full.
Not passing gas.
Abdominal or stomach pain.
Nausea – feeling like you will throw up.
Vomiting – throwing up.
If you have symptoms of bowel obstruction, your doctor will order an abdominal x ray
or a CT scan to confirm that you have bowel obstruction.
The results of these tests will also tell your doctor the type of obstruction you have
and where it is located.
Bowel obstruction may be partial or complete.
The type of bowel obstruction you have can affect how it is managed.
How to manage partial bowel obstruction.
Partial bowel obstruction is when part of the bowel becomes narrowed.
When the bowel narrows it causes a partial block which makes it difficult for poo to
pass.
This can happen due to cancer pressing on the bowels.
Partial bowel obstruction can often be managed with changes to diet or with medicine.
This will help you to maintain bowel function.
How to manage complete bowel obstruction.
Complete bowel obstruction is when the bowel is fully blocked.
A complete block means poo and gas cannot pass out of the body at all.
If you are taking laxatives, stop taking them.
This is serious and requires medical attention.
Contact your health care team right away.
If the blockage or obstruction is near the top of the small bowel, you may have nausea
and vomiting.
You will be asked not to eat or drink anything.
To relieve the nausea and vomiting, you may need a nasogastric tube also called an “NG
tube.”
An NG tube is put through your nose and into your stomach.
This will help drain fluid and gas from your stomach.
Your doctor may give you medicines to control your nausea and vomiting.
This will be given to you as an injection or through an intravenous drip, which is an
IV needle in your arm.
Once your symptoms improve, the NG tube is removed and you will be given sips of fluid.
If your vomiting stops, you will slowly be given a full liquid diet.
You may also be given medicines to manage your pain.
If you continue to have nausea and vomiting, you may need a gastric venting tube permanently
or long-term.
A gastric venting tube is a tube placed into your stomach to remove contents from your
stomach.
This is done to stop you from vomiting.
If the obstruction is in the large bowel, you may have a stent.
A stent is a tube that will keep your bowel open.
If the obstruction is in the large bowel, or the lower end of your small bowel, you
may have surgery to divert poo from the obstruction.
You may be given a temporary or permanent ileostomy or colostomy.
An ileostomy or colostomy is a bag outside of the body that collects poo.
Other treatment options to manage bowel obstruction.
Palliative care is used to manage pain and other symptoms you may have.
Bowel obstruction can also be managed with other treatments and medicine.
These include palliative chemotherapy – this may be given to control the spread of cancer.
Palliative local radiation – this may be given to control your symptoms.
Medicine to decrease liquid build up or secretions that are normally produced by the bowel as
well as inflammation or swelling and symptoms such as nausea.
IV fluids which are given to you through a needle through in your arm.
This will help reduce your symptoms and hydrate you.
Medicine to control nausea and vomiting.
How to prevent bowel obstruction from getting worse.
After having bowel obstruction, it is important that you: follow the diet given to you by
your health care team, take medicines your health care team prescribes, tell your health
care team about symptoms that are new or that have changed.
This may include severe abdominal or stomach pain, uncontrolled vomiting, or diarrhea.
Tell your health care team if you do not poo or pass gas for two or more days.
Track the number of times you poo and if it was hard, soft, or watery.
In this video you learned what to do if you have bowel obstruction.
This included knowing if you have bowel obstruction, how to manage partial bowel obstruction, how
to manage complete bowel obstruction, other treatment options to manage bowel obstruction,
and how to prevent bowel obstruction from getting worse.