[Perforation of the small intestine as a sequela of blunt injuries of the abdomen during a 12-year period].

The paper presents 44 cases of small intestine perforation caused by blunt abdominal trauma in a period of 12 years. 34 patients were men and 10 were women. The patients were aged from 10 to 82 years which gives an average age of 39 years. The average incidence of cases was 4 per year. In 23 patients associated injuries were diagnosed, namely: 5 spleen ruptures, 3 liver ruptures, 5 colon perforations, 1 pancreas injury and 1 kidney injury. Associated injuries in which the dominant syndrome was intraabdominal hemorrhage presented no diagnostical difficulties seeing that the results of punction or abdomen lavage indicated immediate laparotomy. In patients with isolated injury of the small intestine and clinical signs of peritonitis laparotomy was treated with a two layer suture in 32 patients; in 12 patients resection with T-T or L-L anastomosis was made. Associated injuries were treated in the same act. Of 44 patients treated in our Clinic 37 were treated successfully, while 7 died.