Waqar S H, Zafar Lqbal Malik, Zahid M A, Muhammad Shafique.
Frequency of wound dehiscence / burst abdomen in midline laparotomies.
Ann Pak Inst Med Sci Jan ;1(2):74-8.

Objective: Wound dehiscence I burst abdomen is a serious postoperative complication due to high morbidity and mortality rates. This prospective study was conducted in patients undergoing laparotomies through midline incisions, to see the incidence of rate of wound dehiscence/burst abdomen in emergency and elective laparotomies. Study Design: A descriptive, non-interventional comparative study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of General Surgery, Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Islamabad. Study period was from January to June 2002 (both inclusive). Material and Methods: 6D consecutive patients including thirty patients with emergency laparotomy and thirty patients with elective laparotomy, all through midline incision were included in this study. After surgery, wounds were examined from third postoperative day onwards to see their normal or otherwise healing. Results: Four nut of sixty (6.8%) patients developed wound dehiscence. Three cases were in emergency list (Group A) and one from elective list (Group B). In other words rate of wound dehiscence in emergency laparotomy was 10% (3/30) while in elective laparotomies it was 3.3% (1/30). Conclusion: The incidence of wound dehiscence I burst abdomen is still very high in our hospitals. Peritonitis, wound infection and failure to close the abdominal wall properly are most important causes of wound dehiscence. Malnourishment, malignancies and jaundice predispose a patient to wound dehiscence by slowing healing and increasing rate of wound infection.

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