4 ms·
Right, people do it but it has zero clinical utility as the history is way more significant (are you passing gas/stool). If you had an ileus (non moving bowel)
by haldujai 4y ago
Right, people do it but it has zero clinical utility as the history is way more significant (are you passing gas/stool).
If you had an ileus (non moving bowel) for 2 weeks you would know without auscultating. If you’re passing gas or having bowel movements, the presence or absence of bowel sounds means nothing.
If you’re not passing gas or having bowel movements after 2 weeks the auscultation findings are similarly meaningless as this is a very concerning presentation.
- lukko 4y agobut what about tinkling bowel sounds as a sign of obstruction?? lol, agreed - is completely useless and of no clinical value
- haldujai 4y agoI got called once at 4am to perform an urgent CT scan on a patient with “borborygmus” as a junior resident. At the time I was unfamiliar with this term (which means a rumbling or gurgling sound in the belly) and did not for a moment consider that a nephrologist was listening to someone’s belly in the middle of the night. Given how scary the word sounded I performed a stat CT. I googled it after the scan was completely normal. One of the most embarrassing and angering moments of my medical career so far. I swore since that day I would die fighting the crusade against those demons who auscultate bowel sounds.