Penetrating abdominal trauma

ABSTRACT

Audit of 73 consecutive patients with penetrating abdominal trauma managed from June 94 to June 95 is presented. Victims were predominantly young males. Age ranged from 14-85 years. Mode of injury was firearm in 58 cases [79.4%] and stab in 15 [20.5%], twenty six [35.6%] cases had associated extra-abdominal injuries. In this series 70 cases underwent exploratory laparotomy, of which 63 [90%] were therapeutic and in 7 cases [10%] non- therapeutic. Twenty seven [37%] patients had postoperative complications and 15 [20%] patients expired during this study period, including 3 [4%] intraoperative deaths. Suggestions to reduce such a high rate of morbidity and mortality include, a strict control on firearms, enforcement of ban on their display and development of fully equipped regional centers for managements of such patients