STAB WOUNDS OF THE COLON

In a retrospective analysis of 38 patients with stab wounds of the col on, 89 % of the colon wounds involved only up to one fourth of the wal l. One third of the patients had no other abdominal organ injuries. Al l patients were operated on within 11 hours from the injury. The metho d of management of the colon wound was based on the surgeon's individu al assessment, with 76 % undergoing primary repair. The significant fa ctors favouring a colostomy over primary repair were the older age of the patient (P = 0.04), and the longer delay from trauma to the operat ion (P = 0.01). The overall complication rate was 32 % with no mortali ty. Four patients (11 %) developed colon-related infection complicatio ns. The hospital stay after primary repair was on average 15 days shor ter than after colostomy including colostomy closure time (P < 0.001). In conclusion, stab wounds of the colon are usually mild injuries and can be managed safely with early primary repair.