A 32-Year-Old Female Undergoes an Appendectomy Without Complications, but Has

Multiple Choice

A 32-year-old female undergoes an appendectomy without complications, but has markedly reduced bowel sounds and an absence of flatus or defecation during the immediate postoperative period. Which of the following mechanisms best explains this decrease in bowel sounds?

A) Decreased sympathetic activity to the gut
B) Increased activity of the gastrocolic reflex
C) Increased parasympathetic activity to the gut
D) Increased plasma acetylcholine concentration
E) Increased plasma norepinephrine concentration