Small Bowel Obstruction—Who Needs an Operation? A Multivariate Prediction Model

Abstract

Clinical, laboratory, and radiographic factors should all be considered when making a decision about treatment of SBO. The four clinical features-intraperitoneal free fluid, mesenteric edema, lack of the "small bowel feces sign," history of vomiting-are predictive of requiring operative intervention during the patient's hospital stay and should be factored strongly into the decision-making algorithm for operative versus nonoperative treatment.