title: A review of posttraumatic bowel injuries in ibadan.
abstract: Background. Bowel injuries are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality following trauma. Evaluating patients who sustained abdominal trauma with bowel injury may pose a significant diagnostic challenge to the surgeon. Prompt recognition and timely intervention is necessary to improve outcome. Aim. This study was undertaken to evaluate treatment and outcome of patients with bowel trauma. Methods. A 5-year retrospective study of all patients presenting with abdominal trauma requiring surgical intervention seen in the UCH Ibadan, Nigeria was undertaken. Results. There were 71 patients (59 males and 12 females). The majority of cases (70%) occurred between the 3rd and 5th decades of life. Some 37 patients (52%) sustained blunt abdominal injury, while 34 patients (48%) sustained penetrating abdominal injury. There were 27 patients with bowel injuries (38%). Isolated bowel injuries occurred in 19 patients (27%). The most common surgical operation performed was simple closure. There were 3 deaths in patients with bowel injuries. Conclusion. Most cases of bowel injury can be managed by simple closure, a technique that is not so technically demanding for surgeons in less-developed countries. This study has also incidentally identified a "rule of six" for patients with bowel injuries and abdominal trauma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, PMB 8, Irrua, Edo State, Nigeria.
authors.forename: A E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Dongo
authors.forename: E B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Kesieme
authors.forename: D O
authors.initials: DO
authors.lastname: Irabor
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Ladipo
references.citation: Niger J Med. 2005 Jan-Mar;14(1):17-22
references.pmid: 15832637
references.citation: Surgery. 1999 May;125(5):471-9
references.pmid: 10330934
references.citation: J Trauma. 2000 Oct;49(4):606-10
references.pmid: 11038076
references.citation: Scand J Trauma Resusc Emerg Med. 2010 Jul 14;18:40
references.pmid: 20630100
references.citation: Acta Chir Iugosl. 2005;52(1):73-82
references.pmid: 16119318
references.citation: Mil Med. 2004 Sep;169(9):721-2
references.pmid: 15495728
references.citation: Abdom Imaging. 2003 Jul-Aug;28(4):505-14
references.pmid: 14580093
references.citation: J Trauma. 2000 Mar;48(3):408-14; discussion 414-5
references.pmid: 10744277
references.citation: S Afr J Surg. 2005 Nov;43(4):170-2
references.pmid: 16440592
references.citation: J Trauma. 2003 Sep;55(3):399-406
references.pmid: 14501878
references.citation: Ir J Med Sci. 2002 Oct-Dec;171(4):218-9
references.pmid: 12647913
references.citation: J Trauma. 1970 Jan;10(1):46-50
references.pmid: 5415883
references.citation: Khirurgiia (Sofiia). 2002;58(2):5-6
references.pmid: 12515010
references.citation: Aust N Z J Surg. 1995 Dec;65(12):857-60
references.pmid: 8611108
references.citation: J Trauma. 1995 Nov;39(5):895-901
references.pmid: 7474005
references.citation: J R Army Med Corps. 2010 Mar;156(1):25-7
references.pmid: 20433101
references.citation: Injury. 2005 Sep;36(9):1011-5
references.pmid: 16098326