Intermittent sympathetic stimulation: A clinical clue of Intussusception with altered mental status

• Main Authors: Guruprasad Hassan Shankar, Arun Thomas, V Santhikrishna, Gurudutt Avati Venkatesha
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2021-01-01
• Series: Journal of Pediatric Critical Care
• Subjects: hypertension; intussusception; sympathetic stimulation
• Online Access: http://www.jpcc.org.in/article.asp?issn=2349-6592;year=2021;volume=8;issue=2;spage=91;epage=94;aulast=Shankar

Neurological symptoms are documented in intestinal pathologies; however pure neurological presentation in abdominal conditions are rare and presenting with intermittent autonomic disturbances are extremely rare. Here we describe two cases with intestinal obstruction and intussusception who had intermittent hypertension and tachycardia. Diagnosis in both the children were initially challenging, especially so in the first case as the child presented with only neurological symptoms. The exact pathogenesis of this sympathetic overdrive is not known and requires more studies to evaluate the cause. In both the kids, once the primary pathology was treated, the children became neurologically better and has been fine on follow up.