Preoperative risk evaluation in juvenile ileus

: Preoperative risk calculation in children with bowel obstruction allows early therapeutic measures to improve prognosis. In a retrospective study the preoperative status was evaluated in 310 newborns and 127 children beyond the newborn period who had to be operated for bowel obstruction. Preoperative parameters were: age, birth weight (newborns), weight, body temperature, red and white blood count, electrolytes, urea-nitrogen, total serum protein, pH, PO2, PCO2 and base excess. These parameters were compared in surviving children and children who died postoperatively. In newborns a statistically significant difference between both groups was found for birth weight, rectal temperature, pH and total serum protein, whereas in children beyond the newborn age the same was true for age, weight and total serum protein. Besides well balanced electrolytes and good management of artificial respiration, total serum protein and in newborns additionally blood-pH and rectal temperature must be normalized preoperatively to reduce the risk in children with bowel obstruction.