The material in this report is based on 187 cases of intestinal obstruction, which ´were treated surgically at the Seoul Red Cross Hospital during 5 years from April, 1968 to March, 1973. 1) The common causes of intestinal obstruction were postoperative adhesion (33.70, intussus
ception (28.3%), neoplastic stricture (11.80%)external hernia (6. 9%).
2) The most frequent age group was from 21 to 40 years in cases of 52. (27.8%) and 2 : I of male to female sex ratio. The youngest was 2 days and oldest 78, of age. 34. 6 %of the patients were under the age of I year.
3) The locations of intestinal obstruction were 68. 9% in small bowel and 31. 19% in large bowel.
4) The cardinal symptoms and signs were abdominal pain in 79. 1%, vomiting in 72.2% and abdominal distention in 61. 5%. The bowel necrosis was 20. 9% which is not much different from 10.15% of incidence reported in the various literatures. Lenkocytosis (over 10, 000/mm3) was seen in 54%.
5) As for the operative procedures; 7123 cases (65.2%) were treated by operative release of
-obstruction with operative decompression, 45 cases (24. 1%) by the primary intestinal resection.
6) The incidence of postoperative complication was 25. 1% (47/187). The most common coin
plication following surgery was wound infection (9. 1%) and the next, atelectasis & pneumonia (6 4%).
7) Over all mortality rate was 11. 2% (21 out of 187 cases). The most common causes of death was electrolyte imbalance in 28. 5%. (6 out of 21 cases).
A close relationship was seen between the mortality rate, the types of obstruction, symptom duration and age of the patients. The strangulated obstruction following necrosis was showed the highest mortality rate. In spite of general improvement in surgical techniques still remains high mortality rate in intestinal obstruction. The author believes that early diagnosis and early surgical intervention were most important factors to decrease the mortality rate of mechanical intestinal obstruction.
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