Role of ascariasis in surgical abdominal emergencies in the Rangoon Children's Hospital, Burma.
Patients aged 1 month to 12 years admitted with an acute abdominal surgical condition comprising 226 cases with and 206 cases without ascariasis, recorded in the operation theatre registers and in-patients clinical sheets, were studied in relation to morbidity, duration of operation and hospital stay and mortality. Annually, 7.5% of laparotomies were due to complications of ascariasis. Operations for ascariasis accounted for 10.6% of all hospital admissions for an acute abdominal emergency. Also, ascariasis accounted for 26.3% of emergency operations. All operated biliary obstruction cases were due to ascariasis. Moreover, 20.4% of all cases of ascariasis with abdominal complications required operation. The mean ages at operation were higher in Ascaris-induced than in non-Ascaris-induced intestinal obstruction (5.1 vs 3 yr), intussusception (3.5 vs 1.2 yr) and volvulus (4.8 vs 1.7 yr). The durations of operation and hospital stay were longer and case fatality rates higher in Ascaris-induced than in non-Ascaris-induced cases. The importance of this study in relation to the socio-economic benefits of controlling ascariasis is discussed.
Epidemiology Research Division, Department of Medical Research, Rangoon, Burma.
Thein-Hlaing
Myat-Lay-Kyin
Hlaing-Mya
Maung-Maung
D000006:Abdomen, Acute / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D001196:Ascariasis / Q000150:complications* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004630:Emergencies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007410:Intestinal Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D002052:Myanmar / Q000453:epidemiology