Examination of Physicians’ Perception of the Indications of Colorectal Stents in the Management of Malignant Large Bowel Obstruction: A Provincial Survey

Table 3

A subgroup of respondents’ management decisions (measured in proportions, %) based on eight clinical scenarios of malignant large bowel obstruction or MLO (detailed in Box 1), with the optimal approach highlighted in bold, as suggested by the 2014 ESGE/ASGE guidelines. Only the therapeutic choices of respondents who were exposed to at least five cases of MLO in the previous twelve months are shown here.

Scenario	Option A	Option B	Option C	Option D
1: young, healthy	16.4	0	74.5	9.1
2: elderly, healthy	21.8	21.8	45.5	10.9
3: young, comorbid	36.4	10.9	41.8	10.9
4: elderly, comorbid	27.3	47.3	16.3	9.1
5: young, no chemotherapy	5.4	85.6	3.6	5.4
6: elderly, no chemotherapy	0	74.6	3.6	21.8
7: young, chemotherapy	9.1	61.9	14.5	14.5
8: elderly, chemotherapy	0	65.5	5.4	29.1

The therapeutic options are clarified: “Option A: Insert a colorectal stent, with view to decompressive surgery in 5–10 days; Option B: Insert a colorectal stent regardless of whether the patient may have subsequent surgery or not; Option C: Send patient to the operating room for urgent decompressive surgery; Option D: Observe patient’s symptoms for 24–48 hours with nasogastric suction.”