Ileus

Background

Ileus is a failure or insufficiency in the peristalsis movement of the gastrointestinal tract which normally moves GI contents from mouth to anus. Patient with ileus typically present with abdominal pain, nausea/vomiting, constipation, abdominal distension. Ileus is thought to be caused by a disruption in either the neural and/or neurohormonal reflexes that normally regulate bowel motility. This can occur due to any number of insults to the gastrointestinal tract, usually an inflammatory process.