Intestinal Obstruction from Medication Bezoar in Patients with Renal Failure

OBTURATOR intestinal obstruction is usually due to fecal impaction, trichobezoar or phytobezoar, gallstones or foreign bodies. In the three cases reported below intestinal obstruction was due to concretions of aluminum hydroxide suspension* or that agent combined with sodium polystyrene sulfonate.† Aluminum hydroxide suspension is administered as an alkali buffer to prevent gastric hyperacidity. In patients with renal failure, it is often used to bind phosphates in the gastrointestinal tract to control the hyperphosphatemia of renal failure. The sodium polystyrene sulfonate resin is used orally or as an enema to remove potassium in patients with renal failure. The three patients described ….