Perforated duodenal ulcer in the elderly patient

Acute perforation of a duodenal ulcer in a patient over of 70 years of age is associated with a high death rate. During a 10-year period, 35 such patients were operated on; in all omentopexy was performed. Two courses of the disease were observed: the first (19 patients) was defined by acute disease of less than 24 hours' duration preceding surgery; the second (16 patients) was of longer duration, starting with various abdominal complaints and presenting more severely only after the first 24 hours. Postoperative death rates were 0% in the first group and 50% in the second. Other factors that were studied, including diabetes mellitus, presence of concomitant malignant diseases and intake of ulcerogenic drugs, had no significant effect on the outcome in these patients.