J Trauma

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• J Trauma · Mar 2000

  Multicenter Study

  Relatively short diagnostic delays (<8 hours) produce morbidity and mortality in blunt small bowel injury: an analysis of time to operative intervention in 198 patients from a multicenter experience.

  Blunt small bowel injury (SBI) is uncommon, and its timely diagnosis may be difficult. The impact of operative delays on morbidity and mortality has been unclear. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship of diagnostic delays to morbidity and mortality in blunt SBI. ⋯ Delays in the diagnosis of SBI are directly responsible for almost half the deaths in this series. Even relatively brief delays (as little as 8 hours) result in morbidity and mortality directly attributable to "missed" SBI. Further investigation into the prompt diagnosis of this injury is needed.

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