[Sharon]

A special type of small bowel obstruction peculiar to the third world - where worm infestation is common - is caused by impaction of dead ascaris worms. As long as the worms are alive there is no danger, but when all worms die at once they tangle up and impacts causing complete obstruction.

This happens usually after a full dose of antihelmintic (worm killer) such as Mebendazole. That is why only half a dose - repeated after a week - is recommended when you suspected massive worm infestation in a patient.

Often the diagnosis is suspected clinically. In children you can often feel the impacted worms as a movable sausage like tumor, and the differential diagnosis is then intussusceptio (see page INTUSSUSCEPTIO). You can reach a definitive conclusion with ultrasound scanning where the worms inside the intestine usually are easily identified. Usually it is sufficient to ask if the patient had a full dose of worm medicine before. If the answer is yes, it is almost sure that you are dealing with bowel obstruction due to an ascaris impaction. Anyway both conditions need laparotomy.

If you can milk the worms distally into the large intestine the problem is solved. The dead worms are expelled the natural way with the peristalsis of the colon. The lumen of the large bowel is too wide to be occluded by the impacted worms

"Milk the worms"

They look like spagetti

[Nite]

noodles

[**butterflylove**]

I have looked after many patients with a "bowel obstruction" its just horrible. Never an obstruction from worms mind you, thats news to me! Bowels can be obstucted due to masses, (eg cancer) impacted shit, or from not functioning at all due to paralysis of the bowel (ileus) due to trauma or surgery. I have seen people vomit faecal matter up due to bowel obstructions, believe me its a smell (and sight) you will never, never forget. I am sure for the patients its a smell and TASTE they will never forget!

[Shootist]

I could have gone another 48 years without hearing that story about vomiting up shit.

[Darkmist74]

pretty damn nasty...those things look like bratwurst.

[**butterflylove**]

Originally Posted by Shootist ↗

I could have gone another 48 years without hearing that story about vomiting up shit.

Well it pays too look after your body, you never know what is around the corner for you.......

Remember that South Park episode where Cartman stuck food up in ass and shit out his mouth?

[XZER0]

o shit thats fkn DISGUSTING!

[Spitfire Dynamo]

[durt]

Good post

[zombie-rot420]

I'm hungry for ramen now....