Pattern and outcome of childhood intestinal obstruction at a tertiary hospital in Nigeria.
BACKGROUND
Intestinal obstruction is a common cause of pediatric surgical emergency with a high morbidity and mortality in Africa.


METHODS
A retrospective review of cases managed from January 1996 to December 2005 at a teaching hospital in Southwestern, Nigeria was done to examine the pattern of causes of intestinal obstruction in children and the management outcome.


RESULTS
One hundred and thirty cases were seen over the study period with an age range of 2 hours to 14 years. Majority (61.24%) were infants, while 18.46% were neonates. Fifty-five cases (42.31%) were due to congenital causes while the rest were of acquired causes. The major causes of intestinal obstruction in the study were intussusception (29.23%), anorectal malformations (22.31%), obstructed inguinoscrotal hernia (16.92%) and Hirschsprung's disease (13.85%). Surgical site infection and sepsis were the commonest complications observed with an overall complication rate of 60.78%. The mortality rate was 3.08% and most (75%) occurred in neonates.


CONCLUSIONS
While mortality as an outcome of management is low, the morbidity was very high in this study.
Ogundoyin
O O
OO
Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria. kayogundoyin@yahoo.com
Afolabi
A O
AO
Ogunlana
D I
DI
Lawal
T A
TA
Yifieyeh
A C
AC
D000293:Adolescent; D017677:Age Distribution; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007415:Intestinal Obstruction / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D009017:Morbidity; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome