title: Colorectal war injuries.
abstract: During the war in Croatia (1991-1995), 851 war casualties were treated by the surgical teams of Rijeka Clinical Hospital. Among them, 66 patients (7.8%) had colon and/or rectum injuries, usually combined with trauma of other abdominal organs, most often jejunum and ileum (24.2%). Regarding the site of injury, right and sigmoid colon were the most frequently traumatized areas (30.3% and 31.8%, respectively). All patients received surgical treatment within 3 hours from wounding. In 89% of patients, relieving colostomy was formed after the resection of the damaged part of the intestine; 11% of patients were treated with primary resection or sutures without colostomy. The mortality rate of 3% (2 patients) was caused by mutilating multiple organ abdominal trauma combined with massive brain injury.
authors.affiliation: Department of Abdominal Surgery, Clinical Hospital Rijeka, Croatia.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Uravić
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003106:Colon / Q000293:injuries*; D003125:Colostomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017523:Croatia; D006801:Humans; D008887:Military Medicine / Q000379:methods; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012007:Rectum / Q000293:injuries*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014857:Warfare; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery