This presentation is the result of a study of the records of 144 patients sustained trauma to the abdomen and treated surgically at the Korea University Hospital from January, 1967 through August, 1972.
1) The sex distribution was 124 males and 20 females with ratio of 6.2 : 1, and the age distribution indicated predominant incidence in 3rd decade (33.3%).
f 2) The seasonal distribution indicated predominent incidence in summer and autumn (38. 4% respectively), and least incidence in winter (19.4%).
F . 3) As to the mode of injury, 33 cases (22.9%) had penetrating wounds and 111 (77. 1%) were secondary to the blunt trauma. As to the causes of injury, in order of decreasing frequency, traffic accident in 70 cases (48.6%), stab wound in 26 cases (18. 1%), blow and kick in 21 cases (14.6%), fall in 18 cases (12.5%), and gunshots in 4 cases (2.8%).
f 4) The cases who were operated within 6 hours from injury were most common (59.7%) and the majority of cases (84. 7%) within 24 hours.
F 5) As to the organs injured and the frequency of involvement, the small bowel was most often injured (29.2%), seconded by splenic rupture (22.4%) and the remaining cases were liver, 12.4%, mesentery, 11.1%, stomach, 6.9%, kidney, 4.9%, retroperitoneum, 4.3%, duodenum, 1.9%, pancreas, 1.2%, and gall bladder, 0.6%.
VF 6) Abdominal paracenteses were helpful in diagnosis and 65 cases (80. 1%) of 80 cases had a positive finding.
7) Demonstration of free air by plain X-ray was noted in 56 cases (81. 1%) of 69 cases having hollow organ perforation.
8) As to the blood pressure, pulse rate and hematologic findings on admission, cases who had parenchymatous organ injuries showed more drastic blood loss than cases who had hollow organ injuries.
9) In most cases (111 cases), leukocytoses found and leukopenia seen in 8 cases.
V 10) As to the concomitant injuries, single organ injury was in 70 cases, two-organ injury in 43 cases, and more three-organ injury in 31 cases. The injuries that associated with the chest injuries were seen in 26 cases (18.6%).
11) Postoperative complications were in 34 cases (23.6%), infections being the most common (14 cases).
J 12) The mortality rate was 9. 7% (14 cases of total 144 cases) and the causes of death were shock
(7 cases), renal shutdown (3 cases), pulmonary complications (2 cases) and sepsis (2 cases).
J 13) As the number of associated organ injuries increased and duration from injury to operation prolonged, the mortality increased.
14) The blood pressure, pulse rate, and hematologic findings on admission were valuable in evaluation of prognosis.
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