Were there symptoms of a fatal bowel obstruction in 85F’s case? #bowelobstruction #symptomsofbowelobstruction
What are the signs of bowel obstruction to watch out for in elderly individuals with dementia? #eldercare #dementiaawareness
Did the nursing home miss any warning signs that could have prevented this tragic outcome? #nursinghomecare #patientwellness
The symptoms of a bowel obstruction start vague and nonspecific — abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting. The situation can progress rapidly to peritonitis, or an “acute abdomen” requiring emergency surgery. Given her history of dementia it’s likely that she could not communicate her symptoms. Bowel obstructions can progress very rapidly, nothing in your post leads me to immediately believe that she was being neglected at the nursing home. In fact, I have seen similar patients whom were neglected — on arrival to the hospital they were too sick to even get surgery.