This Article  • References  • Full text PDF  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Citing articles on HighWire  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Similar articles in this journal  Social Bookmarking   What's this?

LOUIS H. NASON, M.D.; ARNOLD STARR, M.D.

Arch Surg. 1934;29(4):546-554.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings.

It is the purpose of this report to draw attention to gas bacillus infection¹ following laparotomy; this condition is manifested by a fulminating clinical course which may terminate fatally with startling rapidity. Failure to think of this complication, and the consequent omission of pertinent bacteriologic studies, may leave the surgeon mystified as to the actual cause of death. Frequently it is only when a postmortem examination is performed that the situation is clarified.

Winter,² in 1889, reported 2 cases in which emphysema of the abdominal wall occurred after laparotomy. Eight years later Russell³ reported 2 similar cases: one after uterine suspension and the other following a panhysterectomy. Subsequently, several reports of cases appeared in which gas gangrene was described as a complication of abdominal operations. It was reported after cholecystectomy, gastric and colonic resection, enterostomy and closure of a perforated peptic ulcer. However, the majority of infections . . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]

Author Affiliations
BOSTON

From the surgical service of the Beth Israel Hospital.

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter     What's this?