[Prognostic factors for peritonitis in elderly patients. Multifactorial statistical analysis apropos of 216 cases]

The aim of this paper is to analyse retrospectively the data of our patients over 60 years old who had an acute peritonitis, localized or diffuse, to establish prognostic factors. They were 216 patients, who underwent surgical treatment between 1971 and 1990. We observed 243 variables and its significance using the chi 2 test. We divided our study in two stages: from 1.10.71 to 30.09.80 (group I = 93 patients) and from 1.10.80 to 31.01.90 (group II = 123 patients). Group I was composed by 51 men and 42 women with a mean age of 71.9 +/- 5.3 years. General mortality of this group was 36% (33 patients). Group II corresponded to 55 men and 68 women with a mean age of 74.26 +/- 7.1 years. Mortality was 23% (28 patients). Age, sex and associated clinical disorders were not significant on prognosis, meanwhile the clinical and biological form of presentation were not adequate to establish a severity index. The most common ethiologies were: biliar (24 patients = 26%) in group I and appendicular (41 patients = 32.2%) In group II. Significant factors on mortality rates in group II were: delay between onset of symptoms and surgical treatment (over 96 hs, p less than 0.05), generalized or purulent peritonitis operated after 96 hs from onset of the attack (p less than 0.05) and malignancy (p less than 0.01).