Conservative management strategies for patients diagnosed with ileus in primary care primarily involve supportive care and monitoring, as ileus often indicates bowel obstruction or impaired bowel motility requiring urgent assessment.
Patients presenting with symptoms suggestive of ileus, such as colicky abdominal pain, absolute constipation (no passage of flatus or stool), vomiting, or abdominal distension, should be suspected of having intestinal obstruction and referred urgently for hospital assessment rather than managed solely in primary care.
In primary care, conservative management is limited to initial supportive measures such as ensuring adequate hydration and monitoring symptoms closely. Patients should be advised to seek immediate medical attention if symptoms worsen or do not improve.
There is no specific conservative treatment for ileus recommended in primary care guidelines; instead, the emphasis is on prompt recognition and referral to secondary care for further investigation and management, including imaging and possible surgical intervention.