Intravenous hypertonic dextrose in conservatively managed adhesive small bowel obstruction: An exploratory observational study

Abstract

Adhesive small bowel obstruction (ASBO) is commonly managed conservatively, with adjuncts such as CT scan with per-oral water-soluble contrast, which are diagnostic and in some cases therapeutic. However, these may not be consistently available in low-resource settings. Hypertonic solutions have been shown to influence intestinal oedema and function, but the role of intravenous hypertonic dextrose is unclear. We describe an observational experience of adjunctive 25% dextrose (40 mL daily for 3 days) in selected patients with ASBO managed non-operatively at a tertiary centre in central India.