Abstract
Background: Small bowel obstruction (SBO) is defined as a complete or partial mechanical blockage to the passage of intraluminal contents. In the United States, 15% of admissions for abdominal pain are secondary to SBO, with 300,000 hospital admissions annually. The most common causes of SBO by order are adhesions followed by hernias, Crohn's disease, malignancy, and volvulus. Materials and Methods: The target population for this survey study was Saudi nationals aged 18 years and older. Main Outcome Measures: The population's knowledge level and response towards SBO. Results: Among those surveyed, 51.9% said that their source of information on the treatment of small bowel obstruction was from websites on the internet. Almost all participants (95.3%) agreed that it is necessary to go to the emergency department if the symptoms last for three days. Also, 61.6% strongly agreed that it is essential to visit a health care center for SBO. A large portion (62.8%) strongly agreed to visit the doctor immediately after having SBO symptoms. Conclusions: A positively significant relationship was found between the participants' mean attitude (A) and practice (P) scores.