Surgical Management and Complications of esophageal injuries: Study of Cases in Hospital Escuela, Honduras

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Establish the prevalence and surgical treatment of esophageal injuries and the morbidity and mortality associated.

PATIENTS AND METHODS. Descriptive study involving patients admitted to the surgery service of Hospital Escuela from January 1st, 2008 through june 30th, 2010 with diagnosis of esophageal injuries. We applied a data collection instrument for clinical findings and patient management. The results are presented as frequencies and percentages of study variables using the data processing system EPI.INFO 3.5.1

RESULTS. A descriptive clinical review was made of all patients with perforation of tha esophagus. There were 11 patients the most of them males an average age of 29 years. The principal cause of injury was gun shut 64 % of cases follow by foreign body ( 27%). Cervical esophagus was the most affected area 64% follow by the intrathoracic esophagus. Grade III injuries were the most frequent and it was manage with suture of the perforation. Esophageal exclusion was performed in the 36.5% of the cases this due to the severity of tissue damage found. Image studies performed were cervical X ray, thoracic projections and esophagography. The most serious complication of this injuries was the mediatinitis with a high mortality in 4 of the 11 cases.

CONCLUSION. Esophageal injuries are rare conditions with a high mortality that makes important to diagnose and treat this injuries as soon as they are found.

Keywords: esophageal injuries, mediastinitis

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5377/rmpm.v13i3.623

Revista de los Postgrados de Medicina UNAH Vol. 13 No 3 Agosto-Octubre 2010