PERCENTAGE OF WEIGHT LOSS

TLDR

Mortality from peptic ulcer has fallen with surgery, especially early operation for ruptured ulcers, but the rate for chronic, uncomplicated ulcers has plateaued at about 10%. The study aims to examine the events that sustain the persistent 10% mortality rate in chronic peptic ulcer patients. The analysis focuses on chronically ill peptic ulcer patients, excluding those with ruptured, hemorrhagic, or gastrojejunal ulcers.

Abstract

The general mortality rate among patients suffering from peptic ulcer has been materially reduced by surgical care. The reduction has been due chiefly to early operation in those having one type of ulcer lesion; that is, ruptured ulcer.¹The rate following operations for chronic peptic ulcer, uncomplicated by rupture or gross hemorrhage, has always been much lower, but proportionate progress in reducing this figure further has not been made. This rate has remained for some time at a relatively stationary level of about 10 per cent,²except in selected series. To present further observations on the sequence of events leading to this sustained rate is my object in this communication. The ordinary patient chronically ill with peptic ulcer is to be dealt with here. Those patients with ruptured peptic ulcer, with acute hemorrhage or with gastrojejunal ulcer are naturally not under consideration, since they all present preoperative and