Objectives: Our objective was to determine risk factors and mortality for partial and complete bowel obstruction caused by Ascaris lumbricoides as well as diagnostic validity of eosinophilia in peripheral blood.
Material and methods: We studied 50 patients with partial or complete bowel obstruction and expulsion of Ascaris lumbricoides by mouth or anus, as well as 50 patients as controls; no patient had a negative coproparasitoscopic study. The period of study was from January 1995-December 2001 at the General Hospital of Ciudad Valles, San Luis Potosí State, Mexico.
Results: Cases with partial bowel obstruction had average age of 3.1 years against 10.13 years for those with complete obstruction (p = 0.029). Females accounted for 55% and males 43%, respectively. We do not find a relationship among nutritional status, gestational order in the family, and place of excreta deposition in this study group. In the case of eosinophilia, best point of section found was three or more eosinophils with sensitivity of 34% but specificity of 100%; mortality was 2%.
Conclusions: We do not find a statistical difference between partial and complete bowel obstruction for different variables studied with the exception of age. To find 3% or more of eosinophils in peripheral blood strongly suggests the etiology of the obstruction as Ascaris lumbricoides at prevalence sites of this parasite.