Experience with Non Traumatic Small Bowel Perforations

Hospital record of two hundred consecutive cases of non traumatic or spontaneous small bowel perforations managed during my presence in different surgical units over a period of five years was examined. One hundred and forty eight male and fifty two female patients were evaluated. Age ranged from fifteen to seventy six years. Perforations were mainly caused by tuberculosis, typhoid, adhesive bowel diseases, inflammatory bowel diseases, malignancies and non specific reasons. Eighty one percent cases had only one perforation, twelve percent cases had two perforations, seven percent cases had more than two perforations. Primary repair of perforation was done in sixty percent cases, resection and anastomosis in another 23% cases and in another thirteen percent cases the perforation was exteriorized. In another group of two percent cases simple tube drainage of the coelomic cavity was done. The complications were noted in forty eight cases and out of these seventeen patients did not survive the complications.