Intensive care medicine

Health care

Surgery

Economics

Primary care

Acute care

Acute abdominal pain

Family medicine

Medicine

Economic growth

General surgery

Abdominal pain

Bowel obstruction

World Journal of Emergency Surgery

Small and large bowel obstructions are responsible for approximately 15% of hospital admissions for acute abdominal pain in the USA and ~ 20% of cases needing acute surgical care. Starting from the analysis of a common clinical problem, we want to guide primary care physicians in the initial management of a patient presenting with acute abdominal pain associated with intestinal obstruction.

Bowel obstruction: a narrative review for all physicians