Necrotizing enteritis: Forty five cases treated at the Davao Medical Center

ABSTRACT

This is a case series of 45 patients with surgically confirmed necrotizing enteritis admitted at the Davao Medical Center from January 1984 to December 1991. Twenty nine cases (64 percent) were in the age-group 5-15 years. Male female ratio was 1.8. The highest monthly occurrence was in May, and 1990 recorded 17 cases (37.8 per cent). Bloody diarrhea and skin mottling were associated with extremely high mortality (93 per cent). Thirty five cases underwent resection and primary anastomosis. In ten cases, the involved intestinal segment improved with application of heat through packs and normal saline. There were 15 deaths, 12/35 (34.2 percent) were in those in whom resection was done, and 3/10 (30 per cent) among the nonresected cases. Overall mortality was 33.3 per cent (15/45). (Author)