title: Blunt injuries of the stomach.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the results of surgical treatment of patients with blunt injuries of the stomach.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two general hospitals, Greece.
  
  
  METHODS
  10 patients operated on for blunt trauma to the stomach during a 10 year period.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hospital mortality and morbidity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All patients were victims of motor vehicle accidents and presented with clinical signs warranting early laparotomy. There were 6 full-thickness, and 2 partial thickness gastric injuries located in the anterior wall. All injuries could be managed with simple surgical techniques without resections. Two patients bled to death on the operating table from associated injuries. All but one of the survivors had postoperative complications with a mean (SD) duration of hospital stay of 18(8) days (range 10-30).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Blunt gastric injury is usually diagnosed at laparotomy for associated injuries but may occasionally be suspected from specific clinical findings. In most cases the injury is on the anterior wall. Simple repair is usually sufficient and the prognosis depends on the severity of the associated injuries.
authors.affiliation: 2nd Department of Surgery, General Hospital ASCLEPEION Voulas, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pikoulis
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Delis
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tsatsoulis
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Leppäniemi
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Derlopas
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Koukoulides
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mantonakis
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006115:Greece; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009104:Multiple Trauma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000401:mortality; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013270:Stomach / Q000293:injuries*; D013275:Stomach Rupture / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D015996:Survival Rate; D014949:Wounds, Nonpenetrating / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*