title: Mortality in perforated duodenal ulcer depends upon pre-operative risk: a retrospective 10-year study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Most patients presenting with acutely perforated duodenal ulcer undergo operation, but conservative treatment may be indicated when an ulcer has spontaneously sealed with minimal/localised peritoneal irritation or when the patient's premorbid performance status is poor. We retrospectively reviewed our experience with operative and conservative management of perforated duodenal ulcers over a 10-year period and analysed outcome according to American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score.
  
  
  METHODS
  The records of all patients presenting with perforated duodenal ulcer to the Department of Surgery, Mayo General Hospital, between January 1998 and December 2007 were reviewed. Age, gender, co-morbidity, ASA-score, clinical presentation, mode of management, operative procedures, morbidity and mortality were considered.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 76 patients included, 48 (44 operative, 4 conservative) were ASA I-III, with no mortality irrespective of treatment. Amongst 28 patients with ASA-score IV/V, mortality was 54.5% (6/11) following operative management and 52.9% (9/17) with conservative management.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In patients with a perforated duodenal ulcer and ASA-score I-III, postoperative outcome is uniformly favourable. We recommend these patients have repair with peritoneal lavage performed, routinely followed postoperatively by empirical triple therapy. Given that mortality is equivalent between ASA IV/V patients whether managed operatively or conservatively, we suggest that both management options are equally justifiable.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Mayo General Hospital, Castlebar, Co., Mayo, Ireland. larkin.dundalk@gmail.com
authors.forename: J O
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Larkin
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Bourke
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Muhammed
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Waldron
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Barry
authors.forename: P W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Eustace
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D004381:Duodenal Ulcer / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality* / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010439:Peptic Ulcer Perforation / Q000401:mortality* / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D010533:Peritoneal Lavage; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D016019:Survival Analysis