The Clinical Presentation of Intussusception in ChildrenAttending the Emergency Department at King Hussein Medical Center

This is retrospective study of 103 patients who attended the Emergency Department (ED) at King Hussein Medical Center (KHMC), Amman – Jordan, during the period from 1993-1999. Data was obtained from their files regarding the clinical presentation. The mean age was 13 months with a range of 1 month to 11 years. There were 69 males and 34 females. The main symptom was abdominal pain (49 patients), vomiting (34 patients), abdominal mass (15 patients) while 29 patients presented with shock or dehydration. History of a preceding illness was recorded in 16 patients; of which diarrhoea was the commonest. The latter symptom should alert the clinician regarding the diagnosis which, if made early in the course of the disease, would reduce morbidity.