title: Perforated duodenal ulcer in the elderly patient.
abstract: Acute perforation of a duodenal ulcer in a patient over of 70 years of age is associated with a high death rate. During a 10-year period, 35 such patients were operated on; in all omentopexy was performed. Two courses of the disease were observed: the first (19 patients) was defined by acute disease of less than 24 hours' duration preceding surgery; the second (16 patients) was of longer duration, starting with various abdominal complaints and presenting more severely only after the first 24 hours. Postoperative death rates were 0% in the first group and 50% in the second. Other factors that were studied, including diabetes mellitus, presence of concomitant malignant diseases and intake of ulcerogenic drugs, had no significant effect on the outcome in these patients.
authors: Department of Surgery A, Ichilov Hospital, Tel-Aviv Medical Center, Israel.
authors: N
authors: N
authors: Werbin
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Kashtan
authors: I
authors: I
authors: Wasserman
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Wiznitzer
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002423:Cause of Death; D004381:Duodenal Ulcer / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009852:Omentum / Q000601:surgery; D010439:Peptic Ulcer Perforation / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D013997:Time Factors