Factors associated with delayed reporting for surgical care among patients with surgical acute abdomen attended at Muhimbili National Hospital: Tanzania.

BACKGROUND: Surgical acute abdomen is a sudden onset of severe abdominal symptoms (pain, vomiting, constipation etc.) indicative of a possible life-threatening intra-abdominal pathology, with most cases requiring immediate surgical intervention. Most studies from developing countries have focused on complications related to delayed diagnosis of specific abdominal problems like intestinal obstruction or acute appendicitis and only a few studies have assessed factors related to the delay in patients with acute abdomen. This study focused on the time from the onset of a surgical acute abdomen to presentation to determine factors that led to delayed reporting among these patients at the Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH) and aimed to close the knowledge gap on the incidence, presentation, etiology, and death rates for acute abdomen in Tanzania. METHODS: We conducted a descriptive cross-sectional study at MNH, Tanzania. Patients with a clinical diagnosis of the surgical acute abdomen were consecutively enrolled in the study over a period of 6 months and data on the onset of symptoms, time of presentation to the hospital, and events during the illness were collected. RESULTS: Age was significantly associated with delayed hospital presentation, with older groups presenting later than younger ones. Informal education and being uneducated were factors contributing to delayed presentation, while educated groups presented early, albeit the difference was statistically insignificant (p = 0.121). Patients working in the government sector had the lowest percentage of delayed presentation compared to those in the private sector and self-employed individuals, however, the difference was statistically insignificant. Family and cohabiting individuals showed late presentation (p = 0.03). Deficiencies in health care staff on duty, unfamiliarity with the medical facilities, and low experience in dealing with emergency cases were associated with the factors for delayed surgical care among patients. Delays in the presentation to the hospital increased mortality and morbidity, especially among patients who needed emergency surgical care. CONCLUSION: Delayed reporting for surgical care among patients with surgical acute abdomen in underdeveloped countries like Tanzania is often not due to a single reason. The causes are distributed across several levels including the patient's age and family, deficiency in medical staff on duty and lack of experience in dealing with emergency cases, educational level, working sectors, socioeconomic and sociocultural status of the country.

Clinical-epidemiological changes in patients with non-traumatic acute abdomen during the COVID-19 pandemic: a retrospective study.

OBJECTIVE: we intend to demonstrate the clinical alterations and the postoperative evolution in patients with acute abdomen non-traumatic in conservative or surgical treatment during the pandemic compared to a similar period in the last year. METHOD: a single-center retrospective study, including patients who received clinical-surgical treatment at Hospital do Trabalhador diagnosed with acute abdomen between March and August 2020 and a similar period in 2019.Variables studied ranged from demographic data to indices of social isolation. RESULTS: 515 patients were included, 291 received treatment in a pre-pandemic period and 224 during. There was not statistical difference in relation to comorbidities (p=0.0685), time to diagnosis and seeking medical help. No statistical differences were observed in terms of days of hospitalization (p = 0.4738) and ICU need (p=0.2320). Regarding in-hospital deaths, there was statistical relevance in the age above 60 years (p=0.002) and there were more deaths during the pandemic period (p=0.032). However, when we analyze the factors associated with the number of days until diagnosis by a physician, there was no statistical difference. CONCLUSION: the analyzed data showed that the pandemic period and age over 60 years were the variables that increased the odds ratio for the in-hospital death outcome. However, the length of stay, days in intensive care unit and postoperative surgical complications showed no significant difference.

Does COVID-19 increase the incidence of spontaneous rectus sheath hematoma?

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic started to affect Turkey in March 2020. In this study, we retrospectively investigated spontaneous rectus sheath hematoma (S-RSH) in patients with COVID-19 presenting with acute abdominal pain during the ongoing pandemic. METHODS: The demographic characteristics, laboratory findings, length of hospital stay, and treatment processes of COVID-19 cases with S-RSH detected between March and December 2020 were recorded. The rectus sheath hematoma diagnosis of the patients was made using abdominal computed tomography, and the patients were followed up. Low-molecular-weight heparin treatment, which was initiated upon admission, was continued during the follow-up. RESULTS: S-RSH was detected in 13 out of 220 patients with COVID-19 who were referred to general surgery for consultation due to acute abdominal pain. The mean age of these patients was 78±13 years, and the female-to-male ratio was 1.6. Mechanical ven-tilation support was applied to three patients, all of whom were followed up in the intensive care unit. Two patients died for reasons independent of rectus sheath hematoma during their treatment. Among the laboratory findings, the activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) values did not deviate from the normal range. While there was no correlation between the international normalized ratio (INR) and aPTT (p>0.01), a significant correlation was found between INR and interleukin-6 (IL-6) (p<0.002). None of the patients required surgical or endovascular interventional radiology procedures. CONCLUSION: In the literature, the incidence of S-RSH in patients presenting with acute abdominal pain is 1.8%. However, in our series, this rate was approximately 3 times higher. Our patients' normal INR and aPTT values suggest that coagulopathy was mostly secondary to endothelial damage. In addition, the significantly higher IL-6 values (p<0.002) indicate the development of vasculitis along with the acute inflammatory process. S-RSH can be more commonly explained the high severity of vasculitis and endothelial damage due to viral infection.

Abdomen agudo en la enfermedad COVID-19. El punto de vista del cirujano pediátrico / Acute abdomen in COVID-19 disease: the pediatric surgeon's standpoint

OBJETIVOS: Describir nuestra experiencia en el manejo diagnóstico y terapéutico de los pacientes que han presentado abdomen agudo como principal manifestación de la infección por SARS-Cov-2. MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS: Estudio descriptivo de los pacientes ingresados con clínica inicial de abdomen agudo que fueron diagnosticados de COVID-19 entre el 1 de abril y el 10 de mayo de 2020. Se ha realizado la revisión de historias clínicas para la recogida de datos. RESULTADOS: Describimos una serie de 14 pacientes (9 varones y 5 mujeres) con una mediana de edad de 9,5 años. Todos ellos consultaron por dolor abdominal acompañado de fiebre en 11 y vómitos o diarrea en 9, y la sospecha clínica inicial fue de patología quirúrgica (apendicitis aguda o peritonitis) en 9. En la analítica sanguínea se encontró como característica común elevación de reactantes de fase aguda y alteraciones de coagulación. Se realizó ecografía abdominal a todos los pacientes y tomografía computarizada en cuatro observándose signos inflamatorios en íleon terminal, válvula ileocecal, colon ascendente y edema de vesícula biliar. Se optó por un manejo conservador en todos los pacientes menos uno y ocho pacientes precisaron ingreso en cuidados intensivos para tratamiento de soporte. CONCLUSIONES: La infección por el nuevo coronavirus puede producir síntomas gastrointestinales como principal manifestación, simulando un abdomen agudo que en algunos casos puede evolucionar de forma desfavorable. Para el diagnóstico es preciso realizar una buena historia clínica y exploración física, así como pruebas complementarias en busca de hallazgos característicos de COVID-19

OBJECTIVE: To describe our experience in the diagnostic and therapeutic management of patients with acute abdomen as the main manifestation of SARS-CoV-2 infection. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A descriptive study of patients with clinical signs of acute abdomen diagnosed with COVID-19 and admitted at out healthcare facility from April 1 to May 10, 2020 was carried out. Clinical records were reviewed for data collection purposes. RESULTS: A series of 14 patients (9 male and 5 female) with a median age of 9.5 years was analyzed. All patients had abdominal pain. There were 11 patients with fever, 9 patients with vomit or diarrhea, and 9 patients with clinically suspected surgical pathology (acute appendicitis or peritonitis). Increased acute phase reactants and coagulation disorders were a common characteristic at blood tests. An abdominal ultrasonography was carried out in all patients, and a CT-scan was performed in 4 patients, which demonstrated inflammatory signs in the terminal ileum, the ileocecal valve and the ascending colon, as well as gallbladder edema. Conservative management was decided upon in all patients except one, and eight patients required intensive care admission for support treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Gastrointestinal symptoms can be the primary manifestation of the new coronavirus infection, which simulates an acute abdomen with a potentially unfavorable evolution. For an accurate diagnosis to be achieved, a good clinical record and a comprehensive physical exploration, as well as complementary tests in search of characteristic findings of COVID-19, should be carried out

[Complications of surgical management of non-traumatic acute abdomens of digestive origin at the Yaoundé central hospital, Cameroon (November 2019 - July 2020)]. / Complications des prises en charge chirurgicales des abdomens aigus non traumatiques d'origine digestive à l'hôpital central de Yaoundé, Cameroun (novembre 2019 - juillet 2020).

Objective: Acute non-traumatic digestive surgical emergencies are a frequent cause of emergency in Africa. We undertook this study to investigate the morbidity and mortality of these patients in Cameroon, a developing country in Central Africa. Patients and methodology: This was an analytical cross-sectional study with prospective data collection, over a period of eight months (November 2019 to July 2020), at the Yaoundé central hospital (Cameroon). The latter is a second category (intermediate) public health facility in the Cameroon health pyramid, mainly welcoming patients without health insurance. All patients operated on for an acute non-traumatic digestive abdomen were included. The patients were followed up until the 12th postoperative week. We used Cox univariate regression to determine factors associated with the occurrence of postoperative complications. The significance threshold retained was 0.05. Results: We collected 120 patients, representing 14.6% of all surgical emergencies. The mean age of the patients was 37.6 ± 13.5 years. Eighty (66.7%) were male with a sex ratio of 2. The two main preoperative diagnoses were acute generalized peritonitis (n = 58 or 48.3%) and intestinal obstruction (n = 38 or 31.7%). The two main etiologies were peptic ulcer perforation (n = 35) and acute appendicitis (n = 24). The delay between the onset of symptoms and consultation was 1.9 day and an average of 36.8 hours elapsed between diagnosis and surgery. During postoperative time the morbidity and mortality rates were 33.3 and 10%, respectively. Postoperative complications were mostly minor according to the Clavien-Dindo classification, with 21 cases of grade I (33.8%) and 12 cases of grade II (19.3%). The main cause of death was sepsis (8 out of 12 cases). We identified seven factors significantly associated with an increased risk of postoperative complications among whom three were modifiable: The consultation delay greater than 72h (p = 0.02), the time between diagnosis and the surgical intervention greater than 48h (p = 0.01) and the operating time greater than 2h (p = 0.05). Conclusion: In our context, the results of the surgical management of acute non-traumatic abdomens of digestive origin are marked by high morbidity and mortality. The possible solutions are: the organization of public awareness campaigns to prompt rapid consultation in the event of acute abdominal pain, the establishment of universal health coverage as well as the improvement of technical platforms.

The effect of emergency surgery on acute abdomen patients with COVID-19 pneumonia: a retrospective observational study.

During the COVID-19 outbreak, some patients with COVID-19 pneumonia also suffered from acute abdomen requiring surgical treatment; however, there is no consensus for the treatment of such patients. In this study, we retrospectively reviewed 34 patients with acute abdomen who underwent emergency surgery during the COVID-19 outbreak. Among the 34 patients with acute abdomen, a total of six cases were found with COVID-19 pneumonia (clinical classification for COVID-19 pneumonia: all were the common type). On the premise of similar demographics between both groups, patients with COVID-19 pneumonia had worse indicators of liver and coagulation function. Compared with acute abdomen patients without COVID-19, patients with COVID-19 pneumonia had a longer hospital stay, but there were no significant differences in postsurgical complications (P = 0.58) or clinical outcomes (P = 0.56). In addition, an obvious resolution of lung inflammation after surgery was observed in five COVID-19 patients (83.3%). No new COVID-19 cases occurred during the patients' hospital stays. Therefore, for the common type of COVID-19 pneumonia, emergency surgery could not only improve the outcomes of COVID-19 pneumonia patients with acute abdomen, but also benefit the resolution of pulmonary inflammation.

Bhutan's First Emergency Air Medical Retrieval Service: The First Year of Operations.

OBJECTIVE: The Bhutan Emergency Aeromedical Retrieval (BEAR) Team is the only helicopter emergency medical service in Bhutan. This study was performed to review the clinical cases cared for by the BEAR Team, ascertain the types of interventions that were performed, and determine the outcomes of patients evacuated in its first year of operations. METHODS: This is a retrospective observational study in which medical evacuations performed in the first year of operations were analyzed. The number of airlifts activated during the study period determined the sample size (171). Data were obtained from case logs and trip sheets. RESULTS: The BEAR Team provided services to all regions of the country in its first year. The overall survival rate was 73.1%. The most common intervention required was securing a definitive airway (n = 24). The top 3 conditions requiring air medical retrieval were sepsis, acute mountain sickness, and trauma. CONCLUSION: Helicopter emergency medical services are known to decrease the time to definitive treatment. This is particularly pertinent in Bhutan, given the scattered population distribution, long transport times, and distribution of medical resources and specialty care. This study is the first of its kind in Bhutan, and this can pave way to conduct more studies involving patients transported by air ambulance.

Incidence of arcuate line hernia in patients with abdominal complaints: radiological and clinical features.

INTRODUCTION: Acute abdominal complaints are a frequent cause for consultation in the emergency department, with a large differential diagnosis. One cause is arcuate line herniation, but this entity is little known and rarely considered during initial analysis. The incidence of arcuate line herniation in this population is unknown. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was performed. All patients who presented to the emergency department for surgical consultation during an 18-month period with abdominal complaints in who no diagnosis was found after analysis, and who had computed tomography imaging of the abdomen were included. CT scans were reviewed with a focus on abdominal wall pathology and correlated with clinical features. RESULTS: Eight hundred and ten patients presented with abdominal complaints, 415 of these had CT scans available for review and were included in the study. In 47 patients (11.3%), an arcuate line anomaly was found, and in 14 patients (3.4%), a frank arcuate line herniation (grades 2 or 3) was found. Retrospective correlation with clinical complaints was found in 50% of these patients. Patients with arcuate line hernia had a significantly higher BMI, and diabetes mellitus and aortic aneurysm were more prevalent in these patients. CONCLUSION: Arcuate line herniation has a higher incidence than previously thought in patients with acute abdominal complaints and should be considered when evaluating these patients.

The association between insurance status and diagnostic imaging for acute abdominal pain among emergency department patients in the United States, 2005-2014.

Introduction and objectives: Acute abdominal pain (AAP) is one of the most common complaints in the emergency department (ED). Rapid diagnosis is essential and is often achieved through imaging. Computed tomography (CT) is widely considered an exemplary test in the diagnosis of AAP in adult patients. As previous studies show disparities in healthcare treatment based on insurance status, our objective was to assess the association between insurance status and frequency of CT ordered for adult patients presenting to the ED with AAP from 2005 to 2014. Methods: This study used the National Hospital and Ambulatory Medical Care Survey: Emergency Department Record (NHAMCS) database, which collects data over a randomly assigned 4 week period in the 50 states and DC, to perform an observational retrospective analysis of patients presenting to the ED with AAP. Patients with Medicaid, Medicare or no insurance were compared to patients with private insurance. The association between insurance status and frequency of CT ordered was measured by obtaining odds ratios along with 95% CIs adjusted for age, gender and race/ethnicity. Results: Individuals receiving Medicaid are 20% less likely to receive CT than those with private insurance (OR 0.8, CI 0.6-0.99, p = .046). Those on Medicare or who are uninsured have no difference in odds of obtaining a CT scan compared to patients with private insurance. Additional findings are that black patients are 42% less likely to receive a CT scan than white patients. Conclusions and implications: Patients on Medicaid are significantly less likely to receive a CT when presenting to the ED with AAP. Differences in diagnostic care may correlate to inferior health outcomes in patients without private insurance.

Patients with End-Stage Renal Disease and Acute Surgical Abdomen: Opportunities for Palliative Care.

Background: End-stage renal disease (ESRD) is a life-limiting condition that is often complicated by acute abdominal emergency. Palliative care (PC) has been shown to improve the quality of life in patients with serious illness and yet is underutilized. We hypothesize that ESRD patients with abdominal emergency have high unmet PC needs. Objective: To characterize the outcomes of ESRD patients with acute surgical abdomen, define PC utilization patterns, and identify areas of unmet PC needs. Design: Retrospective study querying the National Inpatient Sample database (2009-2013). Setting and Subjects: Subjects were identified using ICD-9 codes for those aged ≥50 with preexisting diagnosis of ESRD with an acute abdominal emergency diagnosis of gastrointestinal perforation, obstruction, or ischemia. Measurements: Outcomes included PC rate, in-hospital mortality, discharge disposition, and intensity of care. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to identify predictors of PC. Results: A total of 9363 patients met the inclusion criteria; 24% underwent surgery, 16% died in hospital, and 43% were discharged to dependent living. Among in-hospital deaths, 23% received PC. Only 4% of survivors with dependent discharge received PC. Surgical mortality was 26%. PC was less utilized in surgical patients than nonsurgical patients. PC was associated with shorter hospital stay. Predictors of PC included increasing age, severity of underlying illness, white race, teaching hospitals, and the Western region. Conclusions: Patients with ESRD admitted for acute abdominal emergency have high risk for mortality and functional dependence. Despite this, few receive PC and have a high utilization of nonbeneficial life support at the end of life.

The Elderly Emergency Laparotomy Patient - More Than Just the Operation.

The elderly patient presenting with an acute surgical abdomen or bowel obstruction has become a common and challenging situation. These patients bring comorbidity and frailty that necessitate appropriate risk assessment and comprehensive perioperative management. Robust communication is required between patients, families and health professions. The Australia and New Zealand Emergency Laparotomy Audit-Quality Improvement (ANZELA-QI) study is based on the United Kingdom's National Emergency Laparotomy Audit (NELA) and will gather large scale data, providing hospital-level information to enable clinicians to reduce variation in management. Successful management of the elderly laparotomy patient requires close coordination between surgeons, anaesthetists and physicians. The ANZELA-QI study will help establish the role of collaborative models of care and the need for perioperative care teams.

Acute Abdomen in Pediatric Patients With Lassa Fever: Prevalence and Response to Nonoperative Management.

Few reports on the prevalence of acute abdomen (AAbd) in pediatric patients with Lassa fever (LF) are available, and no firm policy on its management exists. Here, we report on its prevalence in and the response to treatment among a cohort of children with confirmed LF. Six (10.3%) of 58 children with LF had AAbd, whereas 6 (2.8%) of 215 children with AAbd had LF. Nonoperative treatment was successful in 5 of the 6 children with both AAbd and LF. We conclude that AAbd is not uncommon in pediatric patients with LF, and it could be responsive to nonoperative treatment. Testing for LF in all children with febrile AAbd might be justified in areas in which LF is endemic.

The diagnostic value of irisin in patients with acute abdominal pain: A preliminary study.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic value of irisin by examining the serum level of this smooth muscle protein in patients presenting at the emergency department (ED) with acute abdominal pain. METHODS: This research was performed as a single-center, prospective, cross-sectional study. In all, 213 adult patients presenting at the ED with acute abdominal pain and 140 healthy controls were enrolled. The serum irisin level was correlated with the leukocyte, C-reactive protein, amylase, and creatine kinase values. The irisin level was compared between groups of those who were admitted or discharged, and those who received surgical or medical treatment. RESULTS: The mean irisin level of the 213 patients and the 140 controls was 6.81±3.17 mcg/mL vs. 5.69±2.08 mcg/mL. The mean irisin value of the hospitalized patients (7.98±3.11 mcg/mL) was significantly higher than that of the discharged patient group (6.38±3.09 mcg/mL) and the controls (control vs. discharged: p=0.202; control vs. hospitalized: p<0.001; discharged vs. hospitalized: p=0.001). When compared with that of the control group, the irisin level was significantly higher in patients with gall bladder diseases, urolithiasis, and acute appendicitis (p=0.001, p=0.007, p=0.007). CONCLUSION: The serum irisin level in patients with abdominal pain may serve as a guide in diagnostic decision-making and determining the prognosis for cases of acute abdominal pain involving luminal obstruction in tubular intra abdominal organs.

Nonspecific abdominal pain: A follow-up survey.

INTRODUCTION: Little data have been published on the outcome of patients discharged from the emergency department (ED) after being diagnosed with nonspecific abdominal pain (NSAP). This study aimed to investigate short-term follow-up of patients discharged with a diagnosis of NSAP from the ED. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This prospective, observational study was conducted in the University-based ED and enrolled all consecutive adult patients who were diagnosed as NSAP out of patients presented with abdominal pain (AP). The main outcome measure was the presence of recurrent AP resulting in referral to the ED and specific diagnoses within the first 3- and 90-day postdischarge. On the 3rd and 90th days, all patients discharged with NSAP from the ED were asked questions, and their response entered into a questionnaire. RESULTS: A total of 684 patients presented with AP, of which 299 (46%) had a diagnosis of NSAP within the 4-month period. Fifty cases (16%) could not be included due to inability to access. Eighty-one out of 249 patients (32.5%) complained of recurrent AP within the first 3 days. Twenty-two cases (8.8%) were readmitted to ED once again in the meantime, and ten received specific diagnoses including three with acute abdomen. Within 90 days, additional nine patients out of 20 (45%) with recurrent AP received specific diagnoses including two with acute abdomen. CONCLUSIONS: Certain specific underlying entities can be missed in patients considered to have NSAP and discharged from the ED. Adherence to timely follow-up and repeated examinations are of vital importance in these patients.

Economic Analysis of Diagnostic Imaging in Pediatric Patients With Suspected Appendicitis.

OBJECTIVE: The use of computed tomography (CT) and ultrasound (US) in patients with acute abdominal pain has substantial variation across pediatric emergency departments (EDs). This study compares the cost of diagnosing and treating suspected appendicitis across a multicenter network of children's hospitals. METHODS: This study is a secondary analysis using deidentified data of a prospective, observational study of patients with suspected appendicitis at nine pediatric EDs. The study included patients 3 to 18 years old who presented to the ED with acute abdominal pain of <96 hours' duration. RESULTS: Our data set contained 2,300 cases across nine sites. There was an appendicitis rate of 31.8% and perforation rate of 25.7%. Sites correctly diagnosed appendicitis in over 95% of cases. The negative appendicitis rate ranged from 2.5% to 4.7% while the missed appendicitis rate ranged from 0.3% to 1.1% with no significant differences in these rates across site. Across sites, we found a strong positive correlation (0.95) between CT rate and total cost per case and a strong negative correlation (-0.71) between US rate and cost. The cost per case at US sites was 5.2% ($367) less than at CT sites (p < 0.001). Similarly, costs per case at mixed sites were 3.4% ($244) less than at CT sites (p < 0.001). Comparing costs among CT sites or among US sites, the cost per case generally increased as the images per case increased among both CT sites and US sites, but the costs were universally higher at CT sites. CONCLUSIONS: Our results provide support for US as the primary imaging modality for appendicitis. Sites that preferentially utilized US had lower costs per case than sites that primarily used CT. Imaging rates across sites varied due to practice patterns and resulted in a significant cost consequence without higher rates for negative appendectomies or missed appendicitis cases.

Acute abdominal pain-changes in the way we assess it over a decade.

AIMS: Acute abdominal pain accounts for 5-10% of all emergency department visits. Rapid and accurate diagnosis is critical to ensure optimal outcomes. In the last decade, increased use of CT scans and the introduction of surgical short stay units has changed the way this group of patients is managed. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of these changes on patient management. METHODS: A retrospective clinical study was undertaken including all patients admitted with abdominal pain under general surgery in the years 2004, 2009 and 2014. Two hundred from each of the three years were randomly selected and their care was reviewed. RESULTS: During the study period, more patients were admitted under general surgery, from 1,462 in 2004 to 2,737 in 2014 (P=0.001). There was an increase in the proportion of patients admitted with non-surgical abdominal pain (25% in 2004 vs 34% in 2014, P=0.035). More computed tomography (CT) scans were performed (26.0% in 2004 vs 45.0% in 2014, P=0.001). CONCLUSIONS: More patients were admitted under general surgery with abdominal pain and a greater proportion of these patients were admitted with non-surgical problems. Use of CT scans increased during the study period.

A study of events between the onset of symptoms and hospital admission in patients with acute abdomen.

BACKGROUND: Acute abdomen is a common surgical emergency. Prompt investigation and treatment, including surgical intervention, is critical in reducing morbidity and mortality. METHODS: We carried out a prospective observational study at a large urban secondary healthcare centre in India. Patients with surgical acute abdomen were consecutively enrolled in the study over a period of 2 years. Data were collected regarding the onset of symptoms, time of presentation to the hospital and events in the intervening period. RESULTS: Analysis showed that misdiagnosis by medical personnel was significantly associated with delay in admission to the hospital. Unfamiliarity with the medical facilities, ignorance, low education and illiteracy and public holiday were the contributing factors for delayed presentation. Even though we detected some trends, the delay was not significantly associated with age, sex, educational level or socioeconomic status of the patient. The delay resulted in an increased mortality and morbidity especially in patients who needed emergency operative management. CONCLUSION: Delayed presentation of acute abdomen is often not due to a single reason. The causes are distributed over various levels starting from the patient, family, medical personnel, administrative deficiencies, socioeconomic and sociocultural status of the country.

[Digestive surgical emergencies in Sub-Saharan Africa: a prospective study of a series of 622 patients at the National Hospital of Zinder, Niger]. / Urgences chirurgicales digestives en Afrique subsaharienne : étude prospective d'une série de 622 patients à l'Hôpital national de Zinder, Niger.

The purpose of this study was to describe the epidemiologic, therapeutic, and prognostic aspects of surgical acute abdomen at the National Hospital of Zinder (HNZ). This was a prospective study of patients undergoing digestive surgical emergencies in HNZ over 24 months (January 2013-December 2014). During the study period, 622 digestive surgical emergencies were operated. The mean age was 22.91 ± 18.14 years old, with a sex-ratio of 3:1. The average admission time was 64.31 ± 57.90 h. Abdominal pain was the main reason for admission in 61.90% (N = 385) of the cases, with or without fever throughout the course in 26.05% (N = 162) of the cases. The average time before surgery was 9.13 ± 5.97 h. Acute peritonitis accounted for 51.61% (N = 321) of cases, led by ileal perforation maybe from typhoid (N = 175). The acute intestinal obstruction and acute appendicitis accounted for 27.49% (N = 171) and 9.65% (N = 60) of the cases, respectively. Abdominal trauma had affected 53 patients (8.52%). The average length of hospital stay was 8.71 ± 5.29 days. Postoperative morbidity was 38.10% (N = 237). Septic complications (N = 187) were predominant. Overall lethality of 13.67% (N = 85), was associated with the delay of diagnosis and treatment (P < 0.001). The incidence and the high morbidity and lethality of digestive surgical emergencies in the Sub-Saharan context, could be avoided through prevention, early consultation, and adequate intra-hospital management.