Background
Acute mesenteric infarction is a rare but lethal event. The causal pathology can be arterial, venous or non-occlusive mechanism. Mortality from acute mesenteric infarction may vary with aetiology. The aim of this study is to determine whether there are differences in mortality between arterial, venous and non-occlusive mesenteric infarction.

Materials and Methods
A literature search was performed via PubMed, Ovid and Google Scholar. Studies that had reported comparative mortality between arterial, venous and Non-occlusive mesenteric infarction (NOMI) were included, regardless of whether they underwent surgery or not. Odds ratios of mortality were calculated using a Mantel-Haenszel, random effect model.

Results
A total of 1,207 articles were screened. Of which, 20 were suitable for data synthesis for arterial vs. venous infarction, 16 for NOMI vs. venous infarction and 15 for Arterial vs. NOMI. When compared with venous infarction, patients who had arterial infarction were significantly more likely to die during primary hospital admission (OR 3.47, CI 2.43-4.96, p=<0.001). Similarly, patients with NOMI were over three times more likely to die during hospital admission compared with those with venous infarction (OR 3.2, CI 1.83-5.6, p=<0.001). There was no difference in mortality rates between arterial infarction and NOMI (OR 1.08, CI 0.57-2.03, p=0.82)

Conclusion
Patients who present with arterial infarction or those with NOMI are over three times more likely to die from mesenteric infarction during primary hospital admission.