Abstract:
Background: Appendicitis is recognized worldwide as the commonestsurgical
emergencyandappendectomyisthecommonestemergencysurgicalprocedure.Its
managementbecomesmorechallengingwhenthepatientpresentswithperforated
appendicitis.Thedifficultyindistinguishingappendicitisfrom othercommoncauses
ofabdominal pain andtheincrease inmorbidityandmortalityaccompanying
perforatedappendixmakesitanimportantconcernforphysicians.
Unrecognizedperforatedappendixleadingtolifethreateningconditioniscommonin
developingcountries,especiallyinSub-saharancountriesincludingEthiopia. The
burdenofappendicitisinEthiopiaisnotclearlyknownbutsomehospitalstudieshave
shownthatitisanimportantcauseofmorbidityandmortality.
Objective:purposeofthisstudyistoassesstheprevalenceandoutcomeofperforated
appendixoperatedinJUSH.
Method:Retrospectiverecordreview fromORlog-books,admissionrecordsandcardsof
subjectswhounderwentoperationandintra-operativelyfoundtohaveperforatedappendixin
JUSHbetweenSeptember1/2013toSeptember1/2015wasdone.Threedatacollectors
wererecruited,trainedandparticipatedinthedatacollection.Thedatawereenteredand
analyzedusingSPSSversion20-computersoftware.Descriptivestatisticslikefrequency,
measuresofcentraltendencywerecomputedandpresentedusing tables.
Results:Recordsof184patientswereavailableandincludedinthestudy.InthisstudyMale
constitutedthemajority130(70.7%)andfemale54(29.3).Outof54females5ofthemwere
pregnantand49werenot.Theagerangesfrom5-76yearswithmeanageof26.40years.Most
ofthecaseswerefromrural128(69.6%)thanurban56(30.4%).Accordingtothisstudy,there
areseveralvariablesthatarepredictiveofpooroutcomeinpatientswithappendicitis.Late
presentation,extremisofages,preoperativetreatmentwithantibioticsduetowrongdiagnosis,
presentationwithgeneralizedperitonitisandpresenceofcomorbidconditionliketypetwoDM
andHIV/AIDSarethemostpredictiveofdeath.
