Will is being assessed by Nurse Lucas for possible intussusception. Which of the following would be least likely to provide valuable information?
A. Abdominal palpation
B. Family history
C. Pain pattern
D. Stool inspection
Correct Answer: B. Family history
Because intussusception is not believed to have familial tendencies, obtaining a family history would provide the least amount of information. The causes of intussusception are not clearly known. About 90% of cases of intussusception in children arise from an unknown cause. They can include infections, anatomical factors, and altered motility.
Option A: A sausage-shaped mass may be palpated in the right upper quadrant. Physical examination may reveal a “sausage-shaped” mass. Children may cry, draw their knees up to their chest, or experience dyspnea with paroxysms of pain.
Option C: Acute, episodic abdominal pain is characteristic of intussusception. Early symptoms include periodic abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting (green from bile), pulling legs to the chest, and cramping abdominal pain. Pain is intermittent because the bowel segment transiently stops contracting.
Option D: Stool inspection would reveal possible indicators of intussusception. Later signs include rectal bleeding, often with “red currant jelly” stool, and lethargy. “Currant jelly” stools, containing blood and mucus, are an indication of intussusception.