title: Management of corrosive injuries of the upper gastrointestinal tract. Our experience in 58 patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The ingestion of caustic substances is one of the most difficult conditions to be treated in Emergency Department.
  
  
  METHODS
  The medical records of patients with caustic ingestion and hospitalized from 2003 to 2008 at the Division of General Emergency Surgery with Polyspecialistic Observation of AORN "A. Cardarelli "in Naples, have been revalued.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From 2003 to 2008, 58 patients with caustic ingestion were admitted to our Division. Ten of these patients (17.24%) underwent surgery. Six patients underwent oesophageal and gastric resection with cervical esophagostomy and alimentary digiunostomy in emergency; two underwent exploratory laparotomy, two had gastroenteroanastomosis for antropyloric stenosis. One patient underwent new operation for a complication. In total, three reconstructions of oesophagus with colon were performed . Of the six patients undergoing esofagogastrectomy, two died in the first postoperative day, but four have passed the acute phase.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is no universally accepted diagnostic and therapeutic procedure for the management of these patients, who are often left - as it appears in literature - to the personal experience of the surgeon who is dealing with this situation.
authors.affiliation: A. Cardarelli Hospital, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Robustelli
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bellotti
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Scardi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fortunato Armellino
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: De Masi
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Forner
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Riccio
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Manguso
mesh_terms: D002057:Burns, Chemical / Q000601:surgery*; D002424:Caustics / Q000633:toxicity*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D041742:Upper Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000293:injuries* / Q000601:surgery*
chemical_list: D002424:Caustics