ABSTRACT
The intestine must subserve basic functions of moving contents from proximal to distal in a rhythmical fashion to allow mixing, digestion and absorption of contents. The intestine, like the heart, is autonomous in generating its own rhythmical electrical, and therefore local motor, activity by intrinsic pacemaker activity generated by small fibroblast-like cells called the interstitial cells of Cajal. Classic teaching points to a reflex inhibition of intestinal motility caused by deranged autonomic nervous system inputs. Symptoms include abdominal distension and vomiting akin to mechanical small bowel obstruction; however, colicky pain is less of a feature. Computed tomography scanning is frequently required to exclude both mechanical obstruction and any local driver of ileus in the peritoneum such as inflammation or infection. Ileus may be managed by nasogastric drainage and restriction of oral intake until there is evidence of improvement.
