SYNOPSIS In the course of 11 years, 2,015 children were operated upon for an inguinal hernia at the Alder Hey Children's Hospital. Of these, 140 (7%) were strangulated, and 33 (1.6%) were less than one month old. Reduction of the strangulated hernia by taxis was successful in 14 cases, unsuccessful in 6, and was not attempted in 13 because of signs of intestinal obstruction, or because the inguinal swelling was extremely tender. There was no relationship between length of history and the success or failure of taxis. Gangrene of the intestine requiring resection occurred in only one child, in another the related testicle was infarcted, and in 5 others the testis was engorged but viable. There were 2 deaths, neither of which was directly due to the hernia.

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