Also called: Bowel obstruction · Intestinal volvulus · Paralytic ileus
Important: This page is general information, not medical advice. It does not recommend or prescribe any treatment. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.
About Intestinal Obstruction
An intestinal obstruction occurs when food or stool cannot move through the intestines. The obstruction can be complete or partial. There are many causes. The most common are adhesions, hernias, cancers, and certain medicines.
Symptoms include:
- Severe abdominal pain or cramping
- Vomiting
- Bloating
- Loud bowel sounds
- Swelling of the abdomen
- Inability to pass gas
- Constipation
A complete intestinal obstruction is a medical emergency. It often requires surgery.
It sits within Digestive System.
The lead U.S. institute for this subject is the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
When to speak to someone. Reading about a topic cannot tell you whether it applies to you. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if symptoms are severe, sudden, getting worse, or simply not going away — and seek emergency care immediately for chest pain, breathing difficulty, sudden weakness or confusion, or a serious allergic reaction.
Research on Intestinal Obstruction
472 studies areregistered for this condition on ClinicalTrials.gov, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's public registry. A selection is below — the links go straight to the registry entry, not to a summary of ours.
What a registered study does and does not mean. Registration means a study exists and has been declared publicly. It says nothing about whether the treatment being tested works, is safe, or is available to you. Many studies find no benefit — that is what research is for. Never seek out an experimental treatment on the strength of a registry entry alone.
Research currently under way
- A Study on the Combination of Tongluo Huayu Formula in Treating RVO of Phlegm-Stasis Intertwinement Type: Based on the Mechanism of Systemic Metabolic Regulation Mediated by Gut MicrobiotaFirst Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University
- Improving Adolescent and Young Adult Self-Reported Data in ECOG-ACRIN TrialsEastern Cooperative Oncology Group
- The Value of Bowel Sounds in Evaluating Postoperative Intestinal Function Recovery in Colorectal Cancer PatientsZhongnan Hospital
- Docetaxel, Oxaliplatin and 5-FU for Gastric Cancer With Inoperable Malignant Bowel ObstructionSixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University
- Emerging Indications for Hyperbaric Oxygen TreatmentJay C. Buckey Jr.
- Indiana University Gastrointestinal Motility Diagnosis RegistryIndiana University
Research already completed
- Bowel Obstruction Post Open Versus Laparoscopic AppendectomySohag University
- The Effectiveness of Bupivacaine and Bupivacaine+Dexmedetomidine Combination in Transversus Abdominis Plane* BlockDr Abdurrahman Yurtaslan Ankara Oncology Training and Research Hospital
- Diagnostic Performance of Point of Care Ultrasound to Identify Intestinal ObstructionNantes University Hospital
- Kinesio-Taping vs. Usual Care for Malignant Bowel Obstruction With AscitesNational Taiwan University Hospital
- Enhanced Recovery Versus Standard Care After Emergency Abdominal Surgery in Patients Requiring Emergency LaparotomyRecep Tayyip Erdogan Hospital Pakistan - Muzaffargarh
- Does Cediranib Prevent Bowel Perforation in Platinum-resistant Ovarian CancerProf Gordon Jayson
Study data from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 2026-07-30. Registry entries are supplied by study sponsors and investigators; ClinicalTrials.gov does not verify their scientific validity. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH.
Where to read more
Rather than paraphrase, we point you to the primary sources. Every link below is to a government health agency, a national institute or a recognised medical body — grouped by what you are trying to find out.
Start Here
- Anatomic Problems of the Lower GI TractNational Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
- Intestinal ObstructionMerck & Co., Inc.
Diagnosis and Tests
- Computed Tomography (CT) EnterographyRadiological Society of North America
- Radiographic Tests in GIAmerican College of Gastroenterology
Treatments and Therapies
- ColectomyMayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
- Colostomy - seriesMedical Encyclopedia
- Intestinal obstruction repair - seriesMedical Encyclopedia
- Ostomy Surgery of the BowelNational Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
- Small bowel resection - seriesMedical Encyclopedia
Related Issues
- IleusMerck & Co., Inc.
- Intestinal Pseudo-ObstructionNational Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
Genetics
- Epidermolysis bullosa with pyloric atresia: MedlinePlus GeneticsNational Library of Medicine
- Feingold syndrome: MedlinePlus GeneticsNational Library of Medicine
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Intestinal ObstructionNational Institutes of Health
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Intestinal VolvulusNational Institutes of Health
- ClinicalTrials.gov: IntussusceptionNational Institutes of Health
Medical subject headings
Clinicians and researchers index this subject under Intestinal Obstruction. These are the terms to use when searching medical literature.
This page is built from the MedlinePlus health topic record for Intestinal Obstruction, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health. Information is from MedlinePlus.gov. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and is not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH. Retrieved 30 July 2026.