OBJECTIVE: To determine disease characteristics, check the treatment status and compare outcome with other series. DESIGN AND SETTING: A retrospective study in a single unit of the Department of Surgery of Khulna Medical College Hospital, south west Bangladesh. PATIENTS AND METHODS: After diagnosis by clinical and radiological examination, 491 patients were treated during the period July 1992 to November 2002. Two options of treatment were carried out: simple closure and peritoneal lavage in 364 cases, and 127 patients managed by non-surgical methods. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: mortality and morbidities. RESULTS: Male:female ratio was 445:46, average age 43 years. Mortality in the surgical group was 6.8% and in the non-surgical group 0.02%. CONCLUSION: Perforated peptic ulcer is prevalent even after the wide use of H2 receptor antagonists. Strict case selection for surgical and non-surgical treatment has reduced mortality. These results support the case for non-operative treatment and for conservative surgery.
OBJECTIVE: To determine disease characteristics, check the treatment status and compare outcome with other series. DESIGN AND SETTING: A retrospective study in a single unit of the Department of Surgery of Khulna Medical College Hospital, south west Bangladesh. PATIENTS AND METHODS: After diagnosis by clinical and radiological examination, 491 patients were treated during the period July 1992 to November 2002. Two options of treatment were carried out: simple closure and peritoneal lavage in 364 cases, and 127 patients managed by non-surgical methods. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: mortality and morbidities. RESULTS: Male:female ratio was 445:46, average age 43 years. Mortality in the surgical group was 6.8% and in the non-surgical group 0.02%. CONCLUSION: Perforated peptic ulcer is prevalent even after the wide use of H2 receptor antagonists. Strict case selection for surgical and non-surgical treatment has reduced mortality. These results support the case for non-operative treatment and for conservative surgery.