A patient in the late stages of a complete intestinal obstruction resulting from a large cancerous mass is most likely to have

Question

a. absent bowel sounds. c. hypoactive, or diminished, bowel sounds.
b. borborygmi. d. hyperactive, or increased, bowel sounds.

Answer 1

A
The absence of bowel sounds is indicative of late intestinal obstruction, both mechanical and nonmechanical in nature. Mechanical obstructions are often caused by adhesions, masses, or hernias. In a nonmechanical obstruction, the gastrointestinal lumen remains open but the intestinal wall muscles cannot move the contents. This type of obstruction can be caused by physiological, neurogenic, or chemical imbalances that result in paralytic ileus. Borborygmi is a type of fairly common hyperactive bowel sound. They are loud, audible, gurgling sounds and may be caused by hyperperistalsis ("stomach growling") or the sound of flatus in the intestines.

Hypoactive, or diminished, bowel sounds indicate decreased motility of the bowel and can occur with peritonitis and nonmechanical obstruction. Hyperactive, or increased, bowel sounds signify increased motility and can result from gastroenteritis, diarrhea, laxative use, and subsiding ileus.