Gut injuries are serious life threatening conditions. Among other abdominal injuries and compared with injuries of parenchymatous organs they accout only for a fraction. The objective of the present work is to draw attention to this problem, to some diagnostic aspects and surgical treatment. At the authors department in 1990-1997 22 gut injuries were treated. The cause was 5x penetrating and 6x a non-penetrating abdominal injury, 7x a foreing body, 6x the gut was damaged iatrogenically. With the exception of one female patient all patients were operated; of the whole group one patient (4.5%) died. In the authors opinion the crucial moment of treatment of the injured gut is an active approach to the diagnosis and surgical treatment, similarly as the approach to other abdominal injuries.

        Key words: gut injuries - diagnosis - surgical treatment - algorithm of approach.