Abstract:
Background: Pediatric surgical diseases are variety of surgical pathologies occurring in
pediatric age groups that require surgical care as the main option of management to save life and
avert or decrease disability. The aim of this study was to asses pattern and outcome of pediatric
surgical conditions and their outcomes at Jimma medical center, Jimma, Ethiopia.
Methods: A prospective cross-sectional, hospital-based study was conducted among children
diagnosed with surgical conditions and admitted to Jimma medical center pediatric wards during
the study period, April to November 2021 G.C. Descriptive statistics was done by SPSS
software, P value of less than 0.05 is considered statistically significant for associated factors.
Then the findings are discussed, and compared with similar studies done elsewhere. Based on the
results, recommendations and conclusions were made and disseminated.
Result: A total of 250 children were included in this study, among which 177 (70.8%) were male
and The commonest age group were infants,113 (45.2%). Regarding type of admissions, 136
(54.4%) of them were surgical emergencies, and 161(64.4%) of them were referred from a
nearby health facility. The most common cause admissions were congenital surgical conditions
(45%), acute abdomen (21%) and trauma (13%). The mean (SD) of duration of hospital stay was
10.5 (8.9), there was no statistically significant difference across the different diagnosis. A
quarter of patients (26.2%) developed complications in the hospital, these were surgical site
infection (8%), wound dehiscence (6.4%), and Pneumonia (4.4%) and in hospital mortality rate
was 6%. Among the 18 deaths, most common cause of death was uncontrolled sepsis.
Conclusion: The commonest causes of pediatric surgical admissions were congenital surgical
conditions, acute abdomen and trauma. About a quarter of patients developed complications in
the hospital, and the most common complications were surgical site infections. In hospital
mortality rate of pediatric surgical admissions in JUMC was comparable to findings from other
African countries. Early identification of surgical conditions in children and timely intervention
saves lives. Regular audit is needed to improve the quality of care and patient outcomes
