title: Non surgical management of colonoscopic bowel perforation.
abstract: Five patients (four males, and one female, median age of 60 years) with colonoscopy-related bowel perforations were managed between January 1993 and June 1994. One patient had a difficult colonoscopy whereas four patients had polypectomies or biopsies. Abdominal pain was the main presenting symptom at a median of 3 h (range 2 to 12 h) following colonoscopy. Four patients demonstrated free pneumoperitoneum whilst one showed a pelvic abscess. Following non-surgical management, abdominal signs diminished after 24 to 48 h and disappeared by the fifth day in all patients. All patients were discharged well at day seven (range 5 to 9 days) and have remained well at 12 months of follow-up (range 3 to 18 months).
authors.affiliation: Department of Colorectal Surgery, Singapore General Hospital.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Seow-Choen
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Look
authors.forename: Y H
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Ho
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D003113:Colonoscopy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007416:Intestinal Perforation / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies