OUT COME OF EMERGENCY SURGICAL OPERATIONS PERFORMED FOR NON-TRAUMATIC ACUTE ABDOMEN AMONG ADULTS IN MEKELLE HOSPITAL, TIGRAY, ETHIOPIA, 2013

Yemane Berhane (BSc, MSc)*, Kiflom Girmay (Bsc, Msc) and Azeb Gebresilassie (BSC. MPH)

ABSTRACT

Background: Acute abdomen is an acute onset of abdominal disease entities that require immediate surgical intervention in most of the cases. Non traumatic acute abdomen is a commonly encountered condition accounting for 36.4% of the surgical emergency, the overall mortality rate of 15.3% and post operative hospital mortality rate of 14%.wound infection, sepsis and pneumonia are the most common post operative complication and associated with long hospital stay. Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the outcome of emergency surgical operations performed for non-traumatic acute abdomen among adults in Mekelle hospital, Tigray, Ethiopia. Methods: A 3 years institutional based cross sectional study was conducted from secondary data. A total of 255 cases of non traumatic emergency surgical operations performed among adults in Mekelle hospital from September 2009 to August 2012. Check list was used to collect the data from the patient’s card. The collected data were coded, edited, entered, cleaned and analyzed using SPSS virsion16.0 for windows. Descriptive, Bivariate and multivariate methods were used to analyze the variables. Result: Among two hundred fifty five cases; the mean age was 36.7 years. Abdominal pain 255(100%) and vomiting 204 (80%) were the most frequent symptoms. One hundred two (40%) of the cases presented their complaint 1-2 days of symptoms and the most common pre operative and operative diagnosis of non traumatic acute abdomen were acute appendicitis 51.4%, and 50.2% respectively. Wound infection was the most common post-operative complication. The odds of post operative complication was higher among Patients older than 55 years (AOR: 3.218; 95% CI: 1.174, 8.818) as compared with relatively young age group 15-25 Years. Similarly, those Patients who were present more than 2 days; complaints were associated with post operative complication (AOR: 0.277; 95% CI: 0.107, 0.726) Conclusion: The proportions of post operative complication for non-traumatic emergency operations were lower. The most common pre and post operative diagnosis were acute appendicitis. Old age and duration of illness were associated with post operative complication. Additional efforts are needed to improve early presentation of symptoms by mobilizing Health extension workers, Women and community development army.

Keywords: Non- traumatic emergency surgical operation, outcome, Mekelle.