Abdominal trauma and laparotomy in 158 patients. A comparative study of penetrating and blunt injury.

A comparative study of 158 patients laparotomized for abdominal trauma is presented. 96 had a penetrating and 62 patients a blunt abdominal injury. 95% of the former group was stabbed with a knife and 56% had signs of alcohol intoxication. The blunt trauma patients were in all the studied respects more difficult to handle than those with a penetrating injury. They were older, arrived later at the hospital, were often in shock, more difficult to diagnose and therefore, operated on later, had more severe and associated injuries, had to be given more blood, were more often treated in the I.C.U., developed more severe postoperative complications, were hospitalized longer and had a higher mortality rate.