ileus
noun
il·e·us
| \ ˈi-lē-əs
\
\
Definition of ileus
: obstruction of the bowel
especially
: functional obstruction of the gastrointestinal tract and especially the small intestine that is marked by the absence of peristalsis, is usually accompanied by abdominal pain, bloating, and sometimes nausea and vomiting, and typically occurs following abdominal surgery
Examples of ileus in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Other problems included a painful intestinal obstruction called an ileus; an abnormally slow heart rate (bradycardia); nausea and vomiting; confusion and delirium; and skin problems like severe itching or a rash. — Karen Kaplan, latimes.com, "Researchers tally the physical and financial costs of opioid painkillers' side effects," 23 May 2018 When Strube-Bohaty was an infant, she was diagnosed with meconium ileus, a bowel obstruction that occurs when a child’s intestines become stickier than normal. — Jason Duaine Hahn, PEOPLE.com, "Bride Has Dream Wedding After Undergoing Lung Transplant: 'I Felt Like Such a Princess'," 1 May 2018 Normally, postoperative ileus goes away on its own in about three or four days after an operation, but people can be uncomfortable while the condition lasts, the meta-analysis said. — Sara G. Miller Staff Writer, Fox News, "Why you should chew gum after a C-section," 2 June 2017 Claire was born with meconium ileus, a bowel obstruction that is a telltale sign of CF. — Jessica Ravitz, CNN, "Living while dying: 'Little Buddha' wisdom from a terminally ill 'goofball'," 5 July 2017These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ileus.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for ileus
ileus
noun
il·e·us
| \ ˈil-ē-əs
\
\
Medical Definition of ileus
: obstruction of the bowel
specifically
: functional obstruction of the gastrointestinal tract and especially the small intestine that is marked by the absence of peristalsis, is usually accompanied by abdominal pain, bloating, and sometimes nausea and vomiting, and typically occurs following abdominal surgery
— called also paralytic ileus
— compare volvulus