Blocked Stoma Instant

“Mr. Hendricks, did you eat anything different today?” she asked.

It was 3:00 AM when the call came in for Emily, a third-year surgical resident. The voice on the other end was shaky. “It’s Mr. Hendricks, Room 408. His stoma… it’s not putting anything out. And he’s in agony.” blocked stoma

Mr. Hendricks let out a sob of relief. “Oh… oh, that’s better.” The voice on the other end was shaky

She ordered warm water and a few drops of dish soap—an old nursing trick—and drew it into a large syringe with a soft catheter. Gently, she flushed the stoma, massaging the surrounding abdomen in slow circles. At first, nothing. Then a trickle of brown liquid. Then a small, almond-shaped pellet popped out, followed by a gush of gas and fecal matter that filled the bag in seconds. His stoma… it’s not putting anything out

She wrote the orders, checked his vitals—heart rate already slowing, blood pressure stabilizing. A blocked stoma could turn into a perforated bowel if ignored. Tonight, they’d caught it in time.

“It was working fine yesterday,” his wife whispered, wringing her hands. “Lots of output. Then tonight… nothing. And he started vomiting.”