Abstract:
Background: Surgery, despite being a tool that can prevent loss of life or part of the body, it
also is associated with considerable risks. Data about surgery related mortalities are scarce in
Ethiopian hospitals, so this study, conducted at the Jimma University Specialized Hospital that
serves the southwestern parts of Ethiopia, tries to highlight the prevalence and common causes of
mortalities encountered in Jimma University Specialized Hospital in the period from September
2012 to December 2015.
Method: A retrospective study was conducted, involving the stated period, utilizing the data of
patients who died at the Jimma University Specialized Hospital with reference to all patients who
were admitted to the surgical wards during the stated period. Data were collected from patients’
cards, admission and discharge records and then were entered into SSPS windows 20 and
analyzed and then tabularly demonstrated.
Results: A total of 292 (3.6%) deaths were encountered among 8083 admissions to the surgical
wards during the study period. The mean age was 41.58. Males to females were in a ratio of
1.87:1. The majority of the deaths occurred among patients aging between 19-40 years. Rural
areas inhabitants mounted it 65.1% of the time. Hypertension and diabetes mellitus (5.1% and
3.4% respectively) were dominating the 18.5 % of the co-morbid conditions. Acute abdomen
(36%) and trauma (34.9%) were the leading cause and head injury was 51% of the time among
the trauma cases. Death due to severe sepsis was attributed most of the time (47.3%).
Conclusion: Delay in presentation to the facility due to many socioeconomic and geographical
reasons hindered patients from showing up early to the facility. Acute abdomen, with resultant
severe sepsis, and trauma (severe head injury) were leading due to lack of proper postoperative
and life support care facilities, increasing death rates in surgical patients.
