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Comparative Study
. 1988 Jan;207(1):72-4.
doi: 10.1097/00000658-198801000-00014.

The management of penetrating injuries of the back. A prospective study of 230 patients

D Demetriades  1 , B Rabinowitz, C Sofianos, D Charalambides, J Melissas, C Hatzitheofilou, J Da Silva
Affiliations
Comparative Study

The management of penetrating injuries of the back. A prospective study of 230 patients

D Demetriades et al. Ann Surg. 1988 Jan.

Abstract

This is a prospective study of 230 patients with penetrating injuries of the back. The decision to operate or observe was taken exclusively on the abdominal physical findings. One hundred ninety-five patients (85%) did not require operation, 30 (13%) underwent a therapeutic laparotomy, four (1.7%) an unnecessary operation, and one patient (0.4%) had a completely negative laparotomy. The diagnosis and management was delayed in five (2.2%) patients with no serious consequences. Mortality rates were not recorded in this series. The initial physical examination was accurate in 95.2% of the patients. We suggest that penetrating injuries of the back should be assessed in the same way as anterior abdominal injuries. Physical abdominal examination is reliable in detecting significant intra-abdominal injuries.

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References

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