Typhoid perforation of the bowel. Experiences in 78 cases

Seventy-eight patients ranging from four to 65 years of age were treated for typhoid perforation of the bowel. Sixty-one patients (78%) were males. The average time from perforation to admission was 56 hours. The mortality rate was 32% and was adversely influenced by the duration of illness, duration of perforation, shock, uremia, encephalopathy and fecal peritonitis. Forty-nine patients were treated by closure of the perforation, resection or miscellaneous procedures; the other 29 by closure of the perforation combined with an end-to-end ileotransverse colostomy. Although mortality was the same in both groups, those undergoing bypass had a significantly smoother postoperative course.