A CLINICAL STUDY OF PERITONITIS DUE TO GASTROINTESTINAL PERFORATION

Abstract

A clinical study about 55 cases of peritonitis due to non-traumatic gastrointestinal perforation was conducted. In upper gastrointestinal perforation cases with the findings of localized peritonitis, even if the time interval from the onset of the disease to operation was comparatively longer, the perioperative risk was not so high and intensive care was necessary for few cases. On the other hand, those with the findings of generalized peritonitis early from the onset were often associated with complications and necessitated emergency operation. In lower intestinal perforation cases, the perioperative risk varied depend on each primary disease. In iatorogenic perforation cases, early diagnosis and treatment was easy and the perioperative risk was not high. In small bowel diverticular perforation and large bowel diverticular closed perforation cases, the findings of peritonitis were often localized and diagnosis as gastrointestinal perforation was difficult, but there was little relation between the time intereval from the onset to operation and the perioperative risk. Few cases necessitated for intensive care. In intestinal obstructive perforation and large bowel diverticular open perforation cases, most of them fell in generalized peritoni-tis, leukocytopenia and shock early from the onset and perioperative risk was high. prophiractic and intensive care including respiratory surpport are demanded.