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Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic staff
Children
Signs and symptoms of intussusception in children include:
- Severe abdominal pain that comes and goes (intermittent pain)
- Stool mixed with blood and mucus (sometimes referred to as "currant jelly" stool because of its appearance)
- A lump in the abdomen
- Swollen (distended) abdomen
- Vomiting, possibly vomiting bile (yellow-brown or greenish fluid)
- Diarrhea
- Fever
- Dehydration
- Lethargy
The first sign of intussusception in an otherwise healthy infant may be sudden, loud crying caused by abdominal pain. Infants who have abdominal pain may pull their knees to their chests when they cry. The pain of intussusception comes and goes, usually every 15 to 20 minutes at first. These painful episodes last longer and happen more often as time passes.
Adults
Although rare, intussusception can happen in adults. Signs and symptoms of intussusception in adults may come and go (intermittent symptoms), or they may be unrelenting. They may include:
- Changes in the frequency of bowel movements
- An urgent need to move your bowels (urgency)
- Rectal bleeding
- Crampy abdominal pain
- Abdominal pain or swelling
- Nausea
- Vomiting
When to see a doctor
Intussusception requires emergency medical care. If you or your child develops the signs or symptoms listed above, seek medical help right away.
In infants, remember that signs of abdominal pain may include recurrent bouts of pulling the knees to the chest and crying.
- Intussusception. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec19/ch275/ch275c.html?qt=intussusception&alt=sh. Accessed July 25, 2010.
- Kitigawa S, et al. Intussusception in children. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed July 20, 2010.
- Anatomic problems of the colon. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/anatomiccolon/. Accessed July 25, 2010.
- Sondheimer JM, et al. Gastrointestinal tract. In: Hay WW, Jr., et al. Current Diagnosis and Treatment: Pediatrics. 19th ed. New York, N.Y.; McGraw Hill Medical: 2009. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=3403837. Accessed July 26, 2010.
- Rotavirus vaccine (RotaShield) and intussusception. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd-vac/rotavirus/vac-rotashield-historical.htm. Accessed July 26, 2010.
- Waseem M, et al. Intussusception. Pediatric Emergency Care. 2008;24:793.
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