Diagnostic Essentials for Intestinal Obstruction in Chinese medicine:
(1) It is characterized by abdominal pain, abdominal distension, vomiting, no flatus and defecation.

(2) Abdominal pain related to mechanical intestinal obstruction is mostly paroxysmal colic pain. If it develops to be a strangulatied intestinal obstruction, the pain is characterized by progressive colic pain. If the position of the intestinal obstruction is higher, vomiting is frequent and the vomiting substances are foods or gastric juice. If the position of the intestinal obstruction is lower, abdominal distension is obvious and vomiting appears later and less frequently, with feces-like vomiting substances.

(3) In the abdominal examination in simple intestinal obstruction, tenderness or wandering mass can be present. But, no rebound pain and muscular tension present usually. When the condition develops further, tenderness in the abdomen can be progressively aggravated, accompanied by fixed mass, rebound pain and muscular tension, and also visible peristalsis, hyperactive bowel sound in auscultation, with water or metal sound.

(4) In the laboratory examination, the total count of peripheral leukocyte and neutrophil ratio are obviously enhanced in the patients. When obstruction lasts for a comparatively long time and is complicated with dehydration, hemoglobin and packed cell volume can be remarkably enhanced. In complication of acidosis, carbon dioxide combining power can decrease remarkably in blood biochemical examination. Radiography is a reliable method to judge intestinal obstruction. Accumulation of air in the small intestine can be seen in abdominal radiography in the early stage of the pathological condition.

In TCM, a disease or a symptom might be caused by one pathogenic factor, even two or three pathogenic factors. When diagnosing a disease or a symptom, TCM doctors must follow the principle of "Syndrome Dfferentiation", and then "Suit the Remedy to the Case". In order to gain a more definite and valuable diagnosis, it's important and necessary for the doctor to learn the detailed health information of the patient, including his/her disease duration, age, sex, height, weight, family history, urine, stool, diet, sleep, sweat, energy, mood (emotion), as well as the tongue conditions and the palm conditions, etc. If you would want our expert to create a TCM diagnosis, you're welcome to contact us.