Intussusception — NCLEX Cheat Sheet
Currant-jelly stool = classicAlso known as: telescoping bowel · bowel folding in · currant jelly stool
Use this quick-reference guide to spot, treat, and prevent Intussusception on the NCLEX. Keep it handy during review and on exam day!
🩺📒 The 1-minute cheat sheet
⚠️ Causes
- Bowel telescopes into itself
- Infants 3mo–3yr, sudden onset
🩺 Signs
- Currant-jelly (bloody) stool
- Sudden colicky pain, draws up legs
- Sausage-shaped abd mass, vomiting
✅ Do
- Air / barium enema = dx + tx
- NPO, IV fluids, monitor stools
🚩 Report
- Normal brown stool → reduction worked
- Fever, rigid abd → perforation
📚 Intussusception — full study notes
The cheat sheet above is your quick recall card. These notes go deeper — what it is, what to do first, what must be reported, and what to teach.
Key points
Understand these first- Sudden episodes of severe, colicky abdominal pain cause the infant to draw the knees up and cry, alternating with calm periods.
- Currant jelly stools (a mix of blood and mucus) are a classic late sign from intestinal ischemia.
- A sausage-shaped mass may be palpable in the right upper quadrant.
- Vomiting, often bile-stained, and abdominal distension develop as obstruction progresses.
- The infant may appear lethargic and pull the legs toward the chest during pain episodes.
- Passage of a normal brown stool may indicate the intussusception has spontaneously reduced.
Nursing priorities
What to do, in order- Keep the child NPO and maintain IV fluids to treat and prevent dehydration and shock.
- Monitor for signs of bowel perforation: fever, increasing distension, tachycardia, and peritoneal signs.
- Prepare the child for an air or hydrostatic (contrast) enema, which is both diagnostic and often therapeutic.
- Monitor stools carefully; report passage of normal brown stool, which may signal reduction.
- Provide preoperative care if surgical reduction is required and support the family.
Red flags — report now
Escalate immediately- Fever, rapidly worsening abdominal distension, rigidity, and signs of shock suggest perforation or peritonitis.
- Bile-stained or fecal vomiting and increasing lethargy require immediate provider notification.
- Sudden passage of a normal stool must be reported, as it changes the plan of care.
- Never delay treatment, because untreated intussusception can progress to bowel necrosis.
Labs & values
Numbers to know- WBC: normal 5,000-10,000/mm3, may rise with ischemia or perforation
- Electrolytes: monitored for imbalances from vomiting and fluid shifts
Patient teaching
What patients must know- Sudden severe crying with knees drawn up, vomiting, and bloody mucousy stools needs immediate medical evaluation.
- After an enema reduction, watch for recurrence of pain, vomiting, or abnormal stools and return promptly.
- Report any return of symptoms after treatment, since intussusception can recur.
❓ Intussusception: NCLEX FAQs
What are the priority nursing interventions for Intussusception?
Keep the child NPO and maintain IV fluids to treat and prevent dehydration and shock. Monitor for signs of bowel perforation: fever, increasing distension, tachycardia, and peritoneal signs. Prepare the child for an air or hydrostatic (contrast) enema, which is both diagnostic and often therapeutic. Monitor stools carefully; report passage of normal brown stool, which may signal reduction.
What are the warning signs of Intussusception a nurse must report?
Fever, rapidly worsening abdominal distension, rigidity, and signs of shock suggest perforation or peritonitis. Bile-stained or fecal vomiting and increasing lethargy require immediate provider notification. Sudden passage of a normal stool must be reported, as it changes the plan of care. Never delay treatment, because untreated intussusception can progress to bowel necrosis.
What do I need to know about Intussusception for the NCLEX?
Sudden episodes of severe, colicky abdominal pain cause the infant to draw the knees up and cry, alternating with calm periods. Currant jelly stools (a mix of blood and mucus) are a classic late sign from intestinal ischemia. A sausage-shaped mass may be palpable in the right upper quadrant. Vomiting, often bile-stained, and abdominal distension develop as obstruction progresses.
What patient teaching is important for Intussusception?
Sudden severe crying with knees drawn up, vomiting, and bloody mucousy stools needs immediate medical evaluation. After an enema reduction, watch for recurrence of pain, vomiting, or abnormal stools and return promptly. Report any return of symptoms after treatment, since intussusception can recur.
Quick Tip
Sudden episodes of severe, colicky abdominal pain cause the infant to draw the knees up and cry, alternating with calm periods.
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