Non-obstructive colonic dilatation in the trauma patient: an analysis of six patients.

Non-obstructive colonic dilatation was diagnosed in six of 13,641 patients admitted to a Level I trauma centre over a 70-month period (incidence, less than 0.05 per cent). Four were older than 60 years, and five required long-term support on a ventilator. Successful treatment depends on expeditious decompression of the dilated colon. Fibreoptic colonoscopy is the recommended method.