Non-trauma related paediatric abdominal surgical emergencies in Lagos, Nigeria: Epidemiology and indicators of survival
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Date
2012
Authors
Ademuyiwa, AO
Bode, CO
Adesanya, OA
Elebute, OA
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Abstract
Background: Pediatric surgical emergencies are associated with higher morbidity and
mortality. The aim of this study is to describe the epidemiology of non-trauma related pediatric
abdominal surgical emergencies in our centre and determine the indicators for survival in a
cohort of patients. Patients and Methods: A retrospective study of children aged 1 day to 15
years who presented with non-trauma related abdominal emergencies at the Lagos University
Teaching Hospital (LUTH). Results: There were 129 children. The median age at presentation
was 5 months (range: 1 day-15 years). There were 104 males and 25 females. Sixty-four (49.6%)
patients presented within 48 hours of the onset of the symptoms while 65 (50.4%) presented
after 48 hours. Intestinal obstruction is the commonest indication for pediatric emergency
surgery in our centre accounting for 76 patients (58.9%). Appendicitis is the second most
common indication for emergency surgery with 13 patients (10.1%). Thirteen patients (10.1%)
had postoperative complications. There were 13 deaths in all (10.1% mortality rate). Eleven
out of 43 (25.6%) neonates died compared with 2 (2.3%) out of 86 patients in the other age
groups (P=0.002). Seven out of 107 (6.5%) patients that had surgery within 72 hours died while
5/22 (22.7%) patients died who had surgery after 72 hours (P=0.003). There were 4 mortalities
(28.6%) among patients with postoperative complications compared with 9 (7.8%) mortalities
among 116 patients without any postoperative complications (Pp=0.001). Conclusion: Intestinal
obstruction is the commonest pediatric surgical emergency seen in LUTH. Neonatal age,
admission to surgery intervention time >72 hours, and severe postoperative complications
are associated with high mortality.
Description
Scholarly article
Keywords
Survival factors , pediatric surgical emergencies , Mortality , Epidermology , Research Subject Categories::MEDICINE::Surgery
Citation
Ademuyiwa AO, Bode CO, Adesanya OA, Elebute OA. Non-trauma related paediatric abdominal surgical emergencies in Lagos, Nigeria: Epidemiology and indicators of survival. Niger Med J 2012;53:76-9.