Short summary

Doing the last years the impression at the specialized pediatric surgical departments is that an increasing part of the children with intussusception are seen at stage where non-surgical treatment no longer is possible because of the children´s clinical condition.

The purpose with this study analyze the clinical investigation at children with intussusception over the last 20 year, to see if the impression is correct and try to identify possible delays in the clinical investigation.

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Rationale

Intussusception refers to the invagination (telescoping) of a part of the intestine into itself.  It is the most common abdominal emergency in early childhood, particularly in children younger than two years of age. Intussusception occurs most often near the ileocecal junction (ileocolic intussusception).

Ultrasonography is the method of choice to detect intussusception in most institutions Stable patients with a high clinical suspicion and/or radiographic evidence of intussusception and no evidence of bowel perforation should be treated with non-operative reduction, using hydrostatic or pneumatic pressure by enema.

Surgical treatment is indicated as a primary intervention for patients with suspected intussusception who are acutely ill or have evidence of perforation. Surgery may also be appropriate when the patient is treated in a location where the radiographic facilities and expertise to perform non-operative reduction are not readily available. Surgery also may be necessary for patients in whom non-operative reduction is unsuccessful. 

Doing the last years the impression at the specialized pediatric surgical departments is that children with intussusception are seen at a stage where non-surgical no longer is possible because of the children's clinical condition.

The purpose with this study is to analyze the clinical investigation at children with intussusception from debut of the symptoms to discharge from the hospital. To investigate if an increasing part of the children gets the intussusception diagnose at a stage where non-surgical treatment no longer is possible and to investigate if there are any delays in the clinical investigation.

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Description of the cohort

The study will include all children age 0-15 with an intussusception diagnose at Odense University Hospital and Rigshospitalet from 1995 to 2015.

Furthermore there will be conducted a search in the Landpatientregister (LPR) register. The search criteria are Children age 0-15 with intussusception from 1995 to 2015.

Data and biological material

Data will be collected from the patient's medical history including: diagnose, start of symptoms, diagnostic interventions, interventions and complications.

Collaborating researchers and departments

Department of Surgery, Odense University Hospital

• Martin Kobborg, MD
• Mark Bremholm Ellebæk, MD, PhD
• Professor, Surgical Consultant and Head of Research Niels Qvist

Department of Surgery, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet

• Kristine Bach Korsholm Knudsen, MD
• Surgical Consultant Inge Bøtker Ifaoui, PhD