Abstract:
Background: Pediatric surgical emergency condition is a broad spectrum of surgical pathologies/disorders
occurring in pediatric age group requiring proper emergency surgical care as the only option of management
to salvage life, avoid/minimize disability or palliation. Children have unique surgical conditions, anesthetic
challenges, and special preoperative requirements. Pediatric surgical conditions can have long-term
consequences because they affect children at critical stages of growth and development. Surgical diseases
in children are as common in developing countries as they are in developed countries. The most common
surgical problems that affect African children are injuries, congenital anomalies, and surgical infections, all
of which pose a serious health risk.
Objectives: The main objective of this study is to analyze the patterns of emergency pediatric surgeries
done at Jimma University Medical Center.
Methods: A two-year Institutional based retrospective study was conducted at Jimma university medical
center from July 2019 to July 2021. Information concerning socio-demographic and background variables
was collected by record review of operation theatre log book and Anesthesiology department log books by
using a structured questionnaire. The data obtained was edited, coded, entered, and cleaned by Epidata
version 4.6 by the principal investigator. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26 was
used for analysis.
Result: A total of 1282 surgical cases were analyzed in the study. The median age (months) was 68,
majority of the patients were males 872 (68.0%), M: F =2.1:1. The most common diagnoses which required
surgical intervention were soft tissue surgical infections 350(27.9%), gastrointestinal problems 319 (24.9%)
and Foreign bodies 157(12.2%). Majority of the patients 712 (55.5%) were operated under general
anesthesia.
Conclusion and recommendations: The finding of the study in Jimma university medical center showed
that the commonest emergency surgical problem in children was soft tissue infections, which can be reduced
by taking preventive measures involving the policy makers and the community health education.
