X-rays of the abdomen are important in diagnosing the presence of
small bowel obstruction. When obstruction occurs, both fluid and
gas collect in the intestine. They produce a characteristic pattern
called "air-fluid levels". The air rises above the fluid and there
is a flat surface at the "air-fluid" interface.
Review Date: 06/29/2010
Reviewed By: Jacob L. Heller, MD, MHA, Emergency Medicine, Virginia Mason
Medical Center, Seattle, Washington. Also reviewed by David Zieve,
MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)
