title: Intestinal perforation in children.
abstract: There were 102 cases of intestinal perforation seen in children at the Department of Paediatric Surgery at S.S. Hospital, Varanasi during a 3 year period. Enteric (typhoid) perforation (29%), intussusception (15%) Ascaris lumbricoides infestation (9%) and appendicitis (9%), which are rarities in the reported literature, were the major causes of intestinal perforation. Radiological evidence of pneumoperitoneum was seen in 88% of patients. The majority of cases in this study were older than 5 years of age (48%). Peritoneal fluid culture revealed Escherichia coli and Klebsiella to be the most common aerobic micro-organisms, while Bacteroides fragilis, Clostridia and Peptostreptococcus were the most frequent anaerobes. The overall mortality rate was high (19%).
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wardhan
authors.forename: A N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Gangopadhayay
authors.forename: G D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Singhal
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003108:Colonic Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007077:Ileal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D007194:India; D007223:Infant; D007416:Intestinal Perforation / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male