RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To determine the etiology, clinical symptom, evolution, and results of management of small bowel obstruction (SBO) in our geriatric patients. BACKGROUND: SBO is one of the first etiologies of surgical emergency procedures in the elderly with mortality at 20-40%. It is believed that etiology of these obstructions is due to the abdominal hernia adherence and oncologic problems. METHOD: In all patients older than 65 year of age, no traumatic, attending the emergency room of our General Surgery Service from December 1996 to June 1998, data concerning symptomatology and surgical finding were collected. RESULTS: In 104 surgical elderly emergency patients, 40 cases was operated on by BO. The first cause was inguinal and umbilical hernia (35%). The first symptom was hypertympanism and radiological data. Mortality was 37% conditioned by metabolic and pneumonic problems. CONCLUSIONS: The abdominal hernias were the firth etiology from SBO. We recommended immediate surgery and preoperative correction of the additional diseases.