Management and outcomes of paediatric ileocolic intussusception at a paediatric tertiary care hospital: A retrospective cohort study

BackgroundRapid reduction of ileocolic intussusception is important to minimize the compromise in blood flow to the affected bowel segment. This study aimed to quantify the potentially modifiable time between diagnosis and initiation of pneumatic reduction, identify factors associated with delays, and characterize the outcomes of pneumatic reduction in a recent cohort.MethodsThis retrospective observational study occurred at a tertiary care paediatric hospital with a consecutive sample of all children with ileocolic intussusception September 2015 through September 2018. The primary outcome was the time between ultrasound diagnosis of intussusception and the beginning of pneumatic reduction. Independent variables were age of the patient, time of day of arrival, transfer from another facility, and intravenous access prior to ultrasound. Outcomes of pneumatic reduction were expressed as proportions.ResultsThere were 103 cases of ileocolic intussusception (among 257,282 visits) during the study period. The median time between diagnostic confirmation and initiation of reduction was 36 minutes. This was shorter for transferred patients and children with intravenous access prior to ultrasound. One perforation was identified at the beginning of reduction, without hemodynamic instability. Six children (5.8%) underwent either open (n=4) or laparoscopic surgery (n=2) for reduction failure.ConclusionThe median delay between diagnosis and initiation of reduction at this paediatric hospital was short, especially among patients transferred with a suspicion of intussusception and children with intravenous access prior to diagnosis. Complications from pneumatic reduction were infrequent.