1 Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah Medical Center, Salt Lake City 84112
In a paper dealing with Laparotomy for Rectal Bleeding (Pediatrics, 35:787, 1965) Shandling notes that no explanation was found at operation for enteric bleeding in 50 and 60% of infants and children. In view of this high percentage of "fruitlessly explored" patients, the author justifiably carefully analyzed the series of patients "to define indications for operation." Among the features studied were character of bleeding, relationship of bleeding to the stool, duration of symptoms, and the hemoglobin levelnone of which were of particular diagnostic value.