AN ANALYSIS OF DEATH CAUSE AND OPERATIVE TIME OF INTESTINAL OBSTRUCTION / 西安交通大学学报(医学版)

ABSTRACT

Acute intestinal obstruction has been treated with surgery in 437 patients in the Laboratory of Abdominal Surgery of our hospital during the rast 20 years. Of these, 40(9.19%) died. This paper analyses the causes of misdiagnosis and death, showing that in over 50% cases, adhesive intestinal obstruction was accompanied by volvulus which often caused intestinal gangrene. Operative history of the abdomen was overemphasized. Preoperative observation lasted too long(over 72 hours), leading to the loss of the chance of operation. In 13 out of 40 dead cases, death was caused by malignant matastases, and in others by suppurative peritonitis due to intestinal perforation, toxic shock, intestinal fistula, etc. It is suggested that emergency surgery be performed as soon as the findings of strangulated intestinal obstruction are noticed. Four measures for diagnosing strangulated intestinal obstruction are discussed.