A contemporary evaluation of enteric perforations in typhoid fever: analysis of 257 cases

Of the 257 typhoid enteric perforations analysed at the Departments of General and Paediatric Surgery, Ankara University Hospital, through the years 1979-1986, 74.9% were males, while the patients mean age was 35.8 years. The early signs and symptoms averaged 5.9 days. The corresponding percentages for the occurrence of abdominal pain, fever, nausea and vomiting and central nervous system disorders which constituted the clinical findings were 97.27, 51, 61.2 and 18 respectively. While the mean value for the white blood count ranged around 6600, only 61.9% of the cases had diagnostic findings in their erect abdominal roentgenograms. The standard method for the treatment of typhoid enteric perforations is still presently primary suturing of the perforated viscus and peritoneal drainage. Despite the use and misuse of a large variety of antibiotics, typhoid perforations still have a high morbidity of 74.1% and a mortality of 31.4%. Generalized peritonitis (78.4%), is considered to be to the most important cause in both situations.