Blunt injury to the colon and rectum.

One hundred nine patients suffering blunt injury to the colon or rectum were treated between 1 January 1970 and 31 December 1980. Vehicular accidents accounted for 90% of the injuries and 91% of the fatalities. Multiple system injury predominated, with survivors averaging 1.9 and nonsurvivors 3.8 injuries/patient. Six cases were complicated by abdominal sepsis directly related to their colon injury. There were no deaths and no episodes of colon-related abdominal sepsis among patients with isolated colon trauma. Of the 32 patients not surviving, four (3.7%), died as a direct result of their colon injury. Three of the four deaths appear to have been preventable.