Experience of peptic ulcer perforation over a decade in a teaching hospital of southern Bangladesh.

OBJECTIVE

To determine disease characteristics, check the treatment status and compare outcome with other series.

DESIGN AND SETTING

A retrospective study in a single unit of the Department of Surgery of Khulna Medical College Hospital, south west Bangladesh.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

After diagnosis by clinical and radiological examination, 491 patients were treated during the period July 1992 to November 2002. Two options of treatment were carried out: simple closure and peritoneal lavage in 364 cases, and 127 patients managed by non-surgical methods.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

mortality and morbidities.

RESULTS

Male:female ratio was 445:46, average age 43 years. Mortality in the surgical group was 6.8% and in the non-surgical group 0.02%.

CONCLUSION

Perforated peptic ulcer is prevalent even after the wide use of H2 receptor antagonists. Strict case selection for surgical and non-surgical treatment has reduced mortality. These results support the case for non-operative treatment and for conservative surgery.