Ultrasonography in the diagnosis of acute surgical conditions

The study deals with 89 cases of acute abdominal conditions admitted to the 3rd. surgical unit for the period between 1988 and 1991, of whom 58 were females and 31 were males. All were examined by ultrasound [u/s] before being operated upon. The operative findings coincided with those of U/S in most of the cases. It was 100% diagnostic in liver abscessess, and certain gynaecological conditions like ectopic gestation and twisted ovarian cyst. It was 95% in acute cholecystitis due to stones, and was 81.1% diagnostic in complications of acute appendicitis, like perforation and appendicular mass. The diagnostic rate was high in obstructive jaundice. We therefore advice the use of U/S in the diagnosis of acute abdominal conditions, within and after the working hours, and that its facilities be made available in the waiting surgical wards

Small bowel obstruction caused by intraluminal migration of missed gauze packs

Two patients who previously had undergone abdominal operations presented with small bowel obstruction. The first had undergone laparotomy for a liver abscess and the second had a caesarian section. In both instances the cause of bowel obstruction was missed packs migrated within the lumen of small bowel causing mechanical obstruction