Colonoscopy and acute colonic pseudo-obstruction.

There is no well-defined standard of care for the use of colonoscopy in the treatment of acute colonic pseudo-obstruction (ACPO). Colonoscopy can be helpful for ACPO, but it can be accompanied by complications, is not completely effective, and can be followed by recurrence. These possibilities must be weighed against the overall risk of spontaneous perforation, which is low but real. The use of colonoscopy therefore should be selective, and it should be performed by experts and accompanied generally by tube placement.