Mortality of preoperative peritonitis in newborn infants without intestinal obstruction

Within a period of 15 years 649 neonates were subjected to laparotomy; 60 (9%) of these patients died. Eighty-seven of the patients had a peritonitis already preoperatively without intestinal obstruction. Many of these were cases of ruptured omphaloceles or gastroschisis. In 17 infants a spontaneous intestinal perforation was the cause of the peritonitis. In 13 there was a preexisting meconium peritonitis. Seven children suffered from gangrenous intestine. Further causes for preoperative peritonitis were a complicated enteritis in 7 and a perforated appendix in 2 cases. Twenty-five or 29% of the children died. The highest mortality was found in children with ruptured omphalocele. It was 50% followed by gastroschisis with 36%. The mortality in patients with spontaneous intestinal perforation was rather similar, and the same high fatality rate was observed in infants with gangrenous intestine. In 28% of the children no cause for the peritonitis could be discovered. The high mortality rate is primarily due to the infants' bad general condition, i.e., low birth weight, prematurity and additional severe malformations.