[The value of oral gastrografin in the diagnosis of ileus (author's transl)].

One hundred and thirty examinations with oral gastrografin were performed in 110 patients with obstructive symptoms, who did not require immediate operation. They consisted of 49 patients with mechanical ileus, eighteen patients with paralytic ileus and 63 patients with incomplete mechanical ileus. All patients with complete mechanical and three patients with paralytic ileus were investigated surgically and treated in this way. Small bowel transit time longer than five hours provides considerable certainty of complete mechanical ileus. The method has been tried for four years; it makes few demands on the patient and has practically no contra-indications, except for deranged electrolyte balance. In children, the amount of contrast medium should be limited and it should be diluted or an isotonic contrast medium should be used. The method provides definite differentiation between mechanical and functional obstruction. In patients with adhesions and recurrent incomplete obstruction, further laparotomies may be avoided in this way.