WARTIME COLON INJURIES - PRIMARY REPAIR OR COLOSTOMY

A retrospective non-randomized study, comparing primary repair with co lostomy, was made on a series of 102 patients with penetrating intrape ritoneal colon injuries, in a war surgery programme in Cambodia. The o verall case fatality rate (CFR) was 25.5%, whereas in the primary repa ir group CFR was 20%, compared to 30.8% in the colostomy group. The di fference was not statistically significant (P=0.30). Adjustment for po ssible confounding factors in the two groups did not alter the results . Considering the numerous advantages to the patient of a primary clos ure in the precarious situations where war surgery is often performed, this technique merits consideration.