Introduction: - Traditionally, penetrating abdominal wounds justify routine laparotomy. However, this policy can be adapted to mechanism of injury (stab or firearm) and accuracy of imaging procedures if they eliminate visceral injury thus allowing close follow up.
Patients and methods: Retrospective study of 79 patients (May 1995-May 2002) with a penetrating abdominal wound: (47 (59%) stab wounds and 32 (41 %) firearm wounds). Correlation between imaging and surgical findings, treatment, post-operative course were studied.
Results: Sixty-eight patients were operated on from the outset, and 11 underwent close follow-up. Of the 11 patients who had follow-up, (9 after stab wound and 2 after firearm wound), two had to be operated (1 in each group). Correlation between imaging and surgical findings was good in 34 (72%) patients after stab wound and in 21 (80%) after firearm wound; the mean number of visceral injuries was 1 and 3 respectively. Six patients (8%) died (mortality: 2% and 16% respectively), 12 (15%) had postoperative complications.
Conclusion: Penetrating abdominal stab wounds can be treated by close follow-up if imaging excludes visceral injury. Firearm wounds still justify routine laparotomy due to both multiplicity of visceral injuries and bad prognosis.