CLINICAL OUTCOMES AND RISK FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH FOOD BOLUS OBSTRUCTION IN A TERTIARY CARE SETTING

Abstract

Background: Food bolus obstruction (SBO) has been a clinical condition significant enough that emergency surgery becomes mandatory, as in younger populations. This study aimed at evaluating the clinical outcomes and risk factors of food bolus obstruction in a tertiary care setting.

Aim: This is an attempt to characterize the demographics, dietary intake, and clinical profiles of patients with food bolus obstruction, specifically focusing on young people, people living in rural settings, and on specific foods like persimmons.

Methods: A retrospective review was carried out at the Department of General Surgery, B.P. Koirala institute of Health Sciences, Dharan, Nepal. Data of all patients who were operated upon due to emergency laparotomy for small bowel obstruction from January 2018 to July 2018 were included. The study analyzed patients with a history of food bolus ingestion and intraoperative diagnosis of obstruction by food bolus. Descriptive statistical analysis was done using Jamovi software.

Results: A total of 80 patients were reviewed. The majority were young, being above 70% under the age of 30 years. Majority of the patients came from the rural setup where persimmon was the commonly ingested article. The obstruction commonly occurred in the ileum while the ileo-cecal junction came second.

Conclusion: Younger, rural populations consuming persimmons are particularly prone to food bolus obstruction and most commonly in the ileum and the ileo-cecal junction, which calls for targeted interventions in health services and other preventive measures for these higher-at-risk groups.

Keywords: Food bolus obstruction, small bowel obstruction, persimmons, rural populations, ileum, laparotomy, clinical outcomes.