When should a child with suspected intussusception be referred to a specialist for surgical intervention?

A child with suspected intussusception, indicated by symptoms such as bile-stained (green or yellow-green) vomiting, abdominal tenderness, an abdominal mass, and/or abdominal distension, should be referred for same-day hospital admission for paediatric surgery assessment NICE CKS. These symptoms suggest intestinal obstruction or another acute surgical condition requiring specialist management NICE CKS.

Intractable or bilious vomiting in a child may also be a sign of a serious alternative diagnosis or surgical condition that necessitates specialist management NICE CKS. A specialist in this context may include a paediatric surgeon NICE NG1.