ABSTRACT
Under normal circumstances, the stomach and the intestine function to provide the body with adequate hydration and nutrition. Accomplished through various absorptive mechanisms throughout the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, this function occurs optimally only in the setting of proper peristaltic activity to move food through the alimentary tube and may be pathologically altered by two basic mechanisms: mechanical or functional. The first is a narrowing of the bowel lumen by either intrinsic or extrinsic means. An incomplete narrowing, or partial obstruction, may progress to total obstruction of the lumen, resulting in a complete bowel obstruction. The second mechanism is one of ineffective peristalsis, a state referred to as ‘‘adynamic ileus’’ or ‘‘pseudo-obstruction,’’ depending on the clinical scenario. In both instances, normal GI physiology is altered. Discussion of this alteration forms the basis of this chapter.
