[Traumatic external gastrointestinal fistula: report of 77 cases]

Seventy-seven patients developed gastroenteric fistula as a complication of abdominal trauma, including small bowl fistula (25), duodenal fistula (17), colonic fistula (16), pancreatic fistula (3), gastric fistula (2), and multiple fistula (14). These patients accounted for 15.9% (77/483) of all patients with intestinal fistula treated in the same period in our department. An average of 8.8 days had elapsed before the final diagnosis of GI fistula was made, during which 73 patients had 1-8 kinds of complications, 48 received 1-5 operations, and 67 were given nutritional support for 6 to 254 days. Thirty patients were cured operatively and 33 (52.4%) spontaneously. The mortality was 18.2%. The etiology, principles of prevention, and management of traumatic intestinal fistula were discussed with emphasis on effective nutritional support and intraabdominal drainage.