Epidemiological profile of abdominal surgical emergencies in adults at the Saint-Louis Regional Hospital (Senegal) between 2021 and 2022: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Abdominal surgical emergencies are relatively common conditions, with a frequency varying between 20 and 22.7%. Understanding their epidemiological profile would help tailor medical interventions to improve access to care and prognosis. The objective of this study is to describe the epidemiological profile of abdominal surgical emergencies in adults at the Regional Hospital Center of Saint-Louis, Senegal.
METHODS: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted from June 1, 2021, to May 30, 2022, in the General Surgery Department of the Regional Hospital Center of Saint-Louis, Senegal. It included all patients aged 15 years and above who presented with an acute abdomen (operated or not). The study collected sociodemographic, clinical, paraclinical, and therapeutic data.
RESULTS: During the study period, 1,228 emergencies were received, of which 275 were abdominal surgical emergencies, resulting in an annual hospital incidence of 22.3%. Of these patients, 191 were male and 84 were female, with a male-to-female ratio of 2.3. The mean age was 39.6 years, with a standard deviation of 18.3 (ranging from 15 to 88 years). The majority of patients (80.0%) arrived at the hospital on their own, with the dominant means of transportation being personal vehicles (68.4%). The most common pathologies were appendicular pathologies (25.1%), followed by strangulated hernias (16.7%), peritonitis (16.7%), intestinal obstructions (15.3%), and abdominal traumas (12.7%). The mean waiting time for surgical management was 50.1 hours, ranging from 8 to 72 hours. General anesthesia was the most commonly used method (66.5%), and surgical treatment was the predominant approach (78.2%). The in-hospital mortality rate was 5.8%.
CONCLUSION: The most affected patients were young men, and the most frequent emergency was appendicitis and its complications. Patients are mostly transported to the hospital on their own using personal vehicles. Despite the relatively low in-hospital mortality rate, the conditions for managing abdominal surgical emergencies remain limited.