%0 Journal Article
%T Causes and outcome of bladder injuries in Durban
%J East African medical journal
%D 1999
%A Madiba, Thandinkosi E.
%A Haffejee, A. A.
%V 76
%N 12
%P 676-679
%X OBJECTIVE: To document our experience with the management of bladder injuries. DESIGN: A retrospective study. SETTING: King Edward VIII Hospital in Durban, South Africa. PATIENTS: One hundred and twenty patients with urinary bladder injuries. INTERVENTIONS: Patients with intraperitoneal bladder injuries underwent laparotomy whereas those with extraperitoneal bladder injuries were managed non-operatively with a suprapubic catheter. RESULTS: The patients' median age was 28.5 years and the male to female ratio was 5:1. Sixty injuries were due to firearms, seven to stabs and fifty-three were due to blunt trauma. There were other associated injuries in sixty-six patients while fifty patients had isolated bladder injuries. Ninety-four intraperitoneal injuries were repaired while 26 extraperitoneal injuries were managed conservatively. The mortality rate was fourteen per cent (twenty-four per cent for patients with other associated injuries and two per cent for patients with isolated injuries). The mean hospital stay was 18.65 +/- 23.35 days (13.3 +/- 13.5 for firearms 30.56 +/- 33.39 for blunt injuries and 11.00 +/- 2.55 for stabs). CONCLUSION: The majority of bladder injuries were penetrating and the major cause was firearm wounds. Blunt injuries were associated with prolonged hospital stay. Isolated bladder injuries carried a low mortality rate even in patients with delayed diagnosis. Associated injuries were responsible for the high mortality. Suprapubic cystostomy for extraperitoneal bladder injuries led to no complications in our hands.<p /><p>Language: en</p>
%G en
%I Nairobi Medical Association of East Africa
%@ 0012-835X
%U http://dx.doi.org/