ileus
|i-le-us|
/ˈɪliəs/
stopped intestinal movement
Etymology
'ileus' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'ἰλεός' (ileós), where the root referred to intestinal pain or colic.
'ileus' passed into Late Latin/Medieval Latin as 'ileus' and was adopted into medical English from Latin usage, retaining the form 'ileus'.
Initially it meant 'intestinal pain' or 'colic', but over time it evolved to mean 'failure of intestinal motility' or 'intestinal obstruction' in modern medical usage.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a functional impairment or cessation of normal intestinal peristalsis causing a failure of intestinal contents to progress (often called paralytic or postoperative ileus).
The patient developed a postoperative ileus and was kept NPO until bowel function returned.
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Noun 2
sometimes used more broadly to refer to an obstruction or stoppage of the intestine (mechanical or functional) — clinicians distinguish this use from true mechanical bowel obstruction.
It is important to distinguish between a mechanical bowel obstruction and an ileus because the treatments differ.
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Last updated: 2025/10/02 03:19