Bowel obstruction

Structured condition card with NCLEX priority cues and nursing action focus.

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GI / Liver / Pancreashigh priorityneeds review

Bowel obstruction

Practice

Etiology / Pathophysiology

  • Adhesions, hernia, tumor, volvulus, ileus, or fecal impaction.
  • Bowel contents cannot pass, causing distention, vomiting, fluid shifts, and ischemia risk.

Medications

No specific medication class was seeded for this card.

Nursing actions

  • Assess pain, distention, vomiting, bowel sounds, and last stool/flatus.
  • Keep NPO and prepare NG decompression or surgery pathway if ordered.
  • Monitor fluid/electrolytes and signs of perforation.

Complications

  • Perforation
  • Peritonitis
  • Shock
  • Bowel ischemia

NCLEX cues

  • No flatus/stool plus distention.
  • Feculent vomiting is severe.

Memory hooks

  • Blocked bowel backs up and dries out.

Labs / Diagnostics

  • Trend assessment findings and ordered diagnostics; verify exact values with school source material.

Review notes

  • Session-derived study seed. Verify against school materials, ATI/NCLEX review sources, current orders, and facility policy before relying on details.

Drive Pack cross references

Bowel obstructionCondition