Journal of pediatric surgery
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Since the 1950s, several large pediatric centers have used hydrostatic reduction with barium under fluoroscopic control as the treatment method of choice for ileocolic intussusception and have adopted rigid criteria for its management. One such rule has been that in order for an intussusception to be completely reduced, there must be adequate reflux of barium into the distal ileum. If this did not occur, it was assumed that the ileocolic intussusception had not been reduced, and the infant or child was taken straight to the operating room for laparotomy and surgical treatment. ⋯ In three patients (4 months to 2 years of age) the air enema reduced the intussusception from the colon without terminal ileum filling, but they all became asymptomatic immediately. For this reason they were not operated on; they were admitted and observed for 24 to 48 hours. Two of the three had recurrence of abdominal pain the next morning, but results of repeat air enemas were all normal (no intussusception observed, and normal terminal ileum filling).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)