The role of ultrasonography in the diagnosis of acute adhesive intestinal obstruction (literature review)

The article is devoted to the classification of adhesions and diagnostics of acute intestinal obstruction. The main classification of adhesions in surgery is the Zühlke scale, which evaluates adhesions by their morphological features and strength, although it does not reflect the extent of the process. For standardization, a universal system is proposed that allows determining the peritoneal adhesion index, which helps to objectively describe the intra-abdominal condition. Radiographic methods are traditionally used in the diagnostics of acute intestinal obstruction, but their information content is limited due to low sensitivity and specificity. More accurate methods, such as computed tomography  and magnetic resonance imaging , have high diagnostic accuracy, but are associated with high cost, radiation exposure and limited availability. Ultrasound examination is becoming increasingly popular due to its high sensitivity (69–98%), non-invasiveness and lack of radiation exposure. This method allows to evaluate the condition of the intestine, identify dilated loops, determine the nature of peristalsis and diagnose complications such as ascites and thickening of the intestinal walls. However, ultrasound depends on the experience of the specialist and can be complicated by obesity or intestinal pneumatosis. Ultrasound is effective as a screening tool and dynamic monitoring of patients with acute intestinal obstruction, especially in conditions of limited access to computed tomography