Management of Pediatric Abdominal Surgical Emergencies in Northern Benin

Background: Pediatric abdominal surgical emergencies are major causes of morbidity and mortality. The goal was to identify the main determinants of their management and access to assess their evolution. Patients and methods: This is a prospective, descriptive and analytical study performed at Parakou teaching hospital and Tanguieta district hospital. It has been conducted from January 1st to July 31st 2016. All children were included aged 0 to 15 years and admitted for an abdominal surgical emergency with a Clinical Classification of Emergency Patients listed from 3 to 5. Results: Pediatric abdominal surgical emergencies accounted for 42.8% of pediatric surgical emergencies. The average age was 9.3 ± 3.5 years old. The sex ratio was 1.7. The most encountered etiologies were peritonitis (36.76%), abdominal trauma (16.17%) and anorectal malformations (14.71%). The comparison of the delay in operative treatment with the World Society of Emergency Surgery shows a delay in 82.35% of cases. Mortality was high preoperatively and was related to the neonatal period (p = 0.027) and to a resuscitation length of stay higher than 36 hours (p = 0.035). Conclusion: Surgical care was delayed, mainly due to the lack of technical capacities. Morbidity and mortality were relatively low.

Critical considerations for the management of acute abdomen in transplant patients

The number of solid organ transplantations performed annually is increasing and are increasing in the following order:Kidney,liver,heart,lung,pancreas,small bowel,and uterine transplants.However,the outcomes of transplants are impro-ving(organ survival>90%after the 1st year).Therefore,there is a high probability that a general surgeon will be faced with the management of a transplant patient with acute abdomen.Surgical problems in immunocompromised patients may not only include graft-related problems but also nongraft-related problems.The perioperative regulation of immunosuppression,the treatment of accompanying problems of immunosuppression,the administration of cortisol and,above all,the realization of a rapidly deteriorating situation and the accurate evaluation and interpretation of clinical manifestations are particularly important in these patients.The perioperative assessment and preparation includes evaluation of the patient’s cardiovascular system and determining if the patient has hypertension or suppression of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis,or if the patient has had any coagulation mechanism abnormalities or thromboembolic episodes.Immunosuppression in transplant patients is associated with the use of calci-neurin inhibitors,corticosteroids,and antiproliferation agents.Many times,the clinical picture is atypical,resulting in delays in diagnosis and treatment and leading to increased morbidity and mortality.Multidetector computed tomo-graphy is of utmost importance for early diagnosis and management.Transplant recipients are prone to infections,especially specific infections caused by cytomegalovirus and Clostridium difficile,and they are predisposed to intraop-erative or postoperative complications that require great care and vigilance.It is necessary to follow evidence-based therapeutic protocols.Thus,it is required that the clinician choose the correct therapeutic plan for the patient(conservative,emergency open surgery or minimally invasive surgery,including laparoscopic or even robotic surgery).

Non-Malformative Emergency Abdominal Surgery in Children Aged 0 - 5 Years

Childhood abdominal surgery emergencies are a major challenge and problematic for the surgeon. The objective is to assess the pattern of non-malformative emergency abdominal surgery in children under 5 years old and to evaluate their management. Patients and Methods: A retrospective study of children under five years of age operated between January 2015 and December 2019 who presented with non-malformative abdominal surgical emergency at the Niamey National Hospital. Results: We collected 327 patients aged 0 to 5 years who underwent surgery for abdominal emergency. The average age was 2.8 ± 0.7 years. Boys accounted for 70.64% (n = 231) of the cases. Non-traumatic emergencies accounted for 97% (n = 317) of the cases. They were dominated by peritonitis in 44.6% (n = 146) and strangulated hernia in 43.7% (n = 143). Peritonitis was attributed to ileal typhoid perforation in 85.61% (n = 125) cases. The strangulated hernias were umbilical at 87.41% (n = 125) and inguinal at 12.59% (n = 18). Abdominal trauma accounted for 3% (n = 10);including 6 cases of abdominal contusion and 4 cases of penetrating wound. Intestinal resection with or without stoma was performed in 28.44% (n = 93). Postoperative complications were observed in 8.5% (n = 28) of the cases and mortality was 5.5% (n = 18). Conclusion: Non-malformative emergency abdominal surgery for children under 5 years was dominated by peritonitis. The morbidity and mortality are high. Fight against disease due to dirty hands and fecal peril like such as typhoid fever will reduce their frequency, but also improve the prognosis.