Intussusception: Frequently Asked Questions

Intussusception is a rare blockage or twisting of the intestine, which can be life-threatening. One portion of the intestine telescopes into a nearby portion, causing the intestinal obstruction. The most common site is where the small intestine joins the large intestine. Because the two walls of the intestines press against each other, this causes inflammation, swelling, and eventually decreased blood flow. ...

Intussusception is an uncommon type of bowel obstruction that occurs when the bowel folds in on itself. Intussusception is most common among young children. Some cases occur with viral infection, or when a piece of enlarged tissue serves as a "lead point" (e.g., polyp or enlarged lymph gland), but no cause is identified in most cases. The most common place in the intestine for intussusception to occur is where the small bowel joins the large bowel. However, intussusception can occur in many parts of the intestine. ...

Intussusception is a condition that develops when one part of the intestine folds into itself, like a telescope. Although this can occur anywhere along the intestinal tract, it most commonly occurs between the lower part of the small intestine and the beginning of the large intestine. See an illustration of intussusception . Intussusception is the most common cause of intestinal blockage in children age 2 years and younger. 1 It occurs mainly in young children; it is rare in adults. This topic focuses on intussusception

Intussusception is a bowel obstruction in which one segment of

In children, the cause of intussusception is not known in 90% of cases. 2 However, it probably involves swelling of lymph nodes within the intestine wall. Intussusception sometimes develops after a child has a viral cold or inflammation in the stomach and intestines.

Based on your child's symptoms, your health professional will check the child's abdomen for a tender, sausage-shaped lump and will check the rectum for signs of bleeding or bulging of tissue into the rectum (prolapse). An X-ray of the abdomen is usually done to look for a blockage in the intestine. Your health professional may want to do other tests, such as an abdominal ultrasound or an air or barium enema. A computed tomography (CT) scan may be done to diagnose intussusception in adults, but it is rarely used

A large study of over 70,000 children, designed specifically to assess a risk of intussusception similar to what was found for the previous rotavirus vaccine, was conducted before licensure of RotaTeq®. In that study, there was no association found between the vaccine and an increased risk of intussusception . While these safety data from the clinical trials are reassuring, the safety of RotaTeq™ will be monitored closely post licensure as larger numbers of infants are vaccinated.

cases of intussusception, possibly associated with

Approval by the FDA only requires trials on about 5,000-10,

Information regarding the incidence of rotavirus disease in the placebo group is described in detail in the ACIP rotavirus recommendations, http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/rr/rr5512.pdf (page 5-6).

CDC, in collaboration with the FDA, and state and local health departments throughout the US conducted two large investigations. One was a multi-state investigation which evaluated whether or not rotavirus vaccine was associated with intussusception. Based on the results of the investigation, CDC estimated that RotaShield® vaccine increased the risk for intussusception by 1 or 2 cases of intussusception among each 10,000 infants vaccinated. ...

Among participants of 27 pre-licensing trials of several candidate rotavirus vaccines, five cases of intussusception occurred among 10,054 (0.05%) vaccinees; all were among infants who received a second or a third dose of vaccine. One case of intussusception occurred among 4,633 (0.02%) infants who received a placebo vaccine. The difference was not statistically significant between the groups. ...

If a child develops intussusception or any serious reaction after a vaccine, whether or not it is thought to be related to the vaccine, the child should receive prompt medical attention and the reaction should be reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). VAERS reporting forms and information can be requested 24 hours a day by calling (800) 822_7967 or by via the World Wide Web at: http://vaers.hhs.gov