A hernia that cannot be reduced is called which of the following?

A hernia that cannot be reduced is called which of the following?

• A. Strangulated
• B. Reducible
• C. Incarcerated
• D. Sliding

Answer: (C)

When a hernia cannot be pushed back into the abdomen, it is called incarcerated. Reducible means it can be returned to the abdomen, so that's not this case. Strangulated describes a situation where the trapped tissue loses its blood supply, which is a step further and carries signs of ischemia; the problem in this question is simply that it cannot be reduced, not yet that its blood supply is compromised. Sliding is a descriptive type where part of an organ forms part of the hernia sac, not about reducibility. So, the nonreducible nature of the hernia here makes it incarcerated. This is a surgical emergency because an incarcerated hernia can progress to strangulation, so urgent evaluation and management are needed.

When a hernia cannot be pushed back into the abdomen, it is called incarcerated. Reducible means it can be returned to the abdomen, so that's not this case. Strangulated describes a situation where the trapped tissue loses its blood supply, which is a step further and carries signs of ischemia; the problem in this question is simply that it cannot be reduced, not yet that its blood supply is compromised. Sliding is a descriptive type where part of an organ forms part of the hernia sac, not about reducibility.

So, the nonreducible nature of the hernia here makes it incarcerated. This is a surgical emergency because an incarcerated hernia can progress to strangulation, so urgent evaluation and management are needed.