Background: Peritonitis secondary to hollow viscus perforation is one of the most frequently encountered surgical emergencies in India. The objective of this study was to study the demographic and clinical profile of gastro intestinal perforations and surgical procedures done for the same in a tertiary care teaching hospital.Methods: This study was performed on 46 cases of hollow viscus perforation admitted in K. R. Hospital from January to June 2018. The presenting symptoms, age and sex profile, risk factors, site of perforation, the surgical procedure they underwent, post-operative complications were assessed and analyzed.Results: The most common age group affected was 21-30 years out of which 89.1 % were males. Gastric perforations were the most common type (56.5%) and jejunal perforations were the least common (6.5%). Abdominal pain was the main presenting symptom in all the cases. Fever was found to be a significant history in cases of ileal perforation (p=0.001) as was history of trauma in cases of jejunal perforation (p=0.001). Guarding, rigidity and air under the diaphragm were seen consistently in most cases. Graham’s patch repair was the most common surgical procedure performed. Ileostomy was the most common surgery done for ileal perforations. Wound infections were the most common post-operative complication observed and death occurred in 13% of cases mostly due to sepsis and cardio pulmonary complications.Conclusions: This study showed an increased incidence of perforation in younger age group which is alarming. The rise in the frequency of gastric perforations points towards an unhealthy lifestyle and dietary habits.
Discharge outcomes of extremely low birth weight infants with spontaneous intestinal perforations
