Factors affecting postoperative mortality in abdominal trauma.

Records of 345 patients in whom laparatomies were performed because of blunt and penetrating abdominal trauma were reviewed retrospectively with respect to factors affecting mortality. One hundred and twenty-eight patients had blunt abdominal trauma (Group I), 114 patients had gunshot wounds of the abdomen (Group II), and 103 patients had stab wounds of the abdomen (Group III). Mortality rates were 14.8%, 12.3% and 1.9% in groups I, II and III respectively. The presence of head trauma especially if accompanied by hypotension in group I, and the presence of chest trauma (hemothorax and/or pneumothorax) and hypotension (less than 90 mmHg) in group II were associated with a high mortality rate (p less than 0.05). Of the two patients who died in group III, one had septic shock due to massive intestinal necrosis and the other had hemorrhagic shock due to multiple organ injury and bleeding from an injured internal thoracic artery as the cause of death.