Table 5.

Subgroup analysis by water-soluble contrast status

Variable	No. (%) of patients*		p value
	No WSC n = 104	WSC n = 48
Planned initial management
Nonoperative	83 (79.8)	48 (100.0)	< 0.001§¶
Operative	21 (20.2)	0 (0.0)
Nasogastric tube use	81 (77.9)	48 (100.0)	< 0.001§¶
Failed nonoperative intent, required surgery	3 (3.6)	7 (14.6)	0.01§¶
Operative approach†
Open	17 (73.9)	4 (57.1)	0.7§¶
Laparoscopic	5 (21.7)	3 (42.9)
Bowel resection	9 (8.6)	2 (4.2)	0.5§¶
Timing of radiographic resolution after WSC administration, h‡
4	—	24 (58.5)	0.04¶**
24	—	12 (29.3)
Time to surgery, median, d	1	1	0.2§††

WSC = water-soluble contrast.

^*Except where noted otherwise.

^†Denominator is the number of patients in each cohort who proceeded to surgery (initially or after failed nonoperative trial).

^‡In 12 patients the SBO resolved after 24 hours, at which point no radiograph would have been obtained.

^§Comparing WSC versus no WSC.

^¶χ² test.

^**Comparing resolution at 4 hours versus 24 hours.

^††Wilcoxon rank-sum test.