Severe gastrointestinal bleeding resulting in total gastrectomy in a patient with major burns - a case report

Gastrointestinal hemorrhage is a known but rare complication of major burns . This case report describes the management of this potentially life threat ening problem in a young adult with 45% body surface area burns who develop ed massive gastrointestinal-tract bleeding. The patient required a total ga strectomy that was complicated by a burst abdomen. Despite undergoing a ser ies of major insults, the patient survived and was eventually discharged fr om hospital with an acceptable level of morbidity. The problems faced by th e burn centre team and the issues involved in the decision making process a re discussed in the management of this unusually devastating complication. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.