Non-malignant perforations: a study of various risk factors

Abstract

Gastrointestinal perforation is a common surgical emergency encountered. Patients with peritonitis are among the most complex patients encountered in surgical practice. Thus there is a need to stratify the various determinants which can help us to plan the treatment strategy. 1 Various studies have accessed the association of various risk factors with the outcome, but either with the single risk factor or an isolated post-operative complication. But there are additional risk factors that influence the outcome. Known since the days of Hippocrates, transmigration of bacteria from the gut causes peritonitis, which may be fatal or cause profound morbidity. Contamination of peritoneal cavity can cause sepsis, multisystem organ failure and death if not treated timely. Objectives: The objectives are to establish an association between various risk factors and the possible outcomes in gastrointestinal perforations either independently or in synergism. The secondary objective was to correlate the results with existing Mannheim peritonitis prognostic index.