Pattern and Management Outcome of Acute Abdomen and Review of the Role of Task Shifting-Task Sharing in Leku General Hospital, Sidama, Ethiopia

Abstract

Asfaw Kibret, Chernet Lema, Tesfahun Assefa, Natnael Gebeyehu and Behailu Tafese

Background: Acute abdomen is one of the surgical emergency of abdominal disease presented with sudden onset abdominal pain and often needs urgent surgical interventions. Its pattern varies worldwide. In low income countries like Ethiopia the surgical workforce is still unmet but strategies like the integrated emergency surgery program was one of the successful task shifting and task sharing strategy which saved the life of many which need emergency surgical intervention.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the pattern, outcome of management of non traumatic acute abdomens and the role of task shifting in leku general hospital, Sidama, Ethiopia.

Methods: This was a three years retrospective cross-sectional study conducted at Leku general hospital in sidama region southern part of Ethiopia. The study populations were patients operated in the Leku general hospital for diagnosis of non- traumatic acute abdomen from august 2021 GC to august 2023Gc. Data were collected by checklists and analyzed by SPSS descriptive statistics.

Result: In the study period it was found 225 operated cases for indication of non traumatic acute abdomen. Majority of the cases were male (161) and 64 were female making male to female ratio 2.5:1. The age ranges from 4yrs to 80 years. Majority of the cases fall in the 2nd and 3rd decades of age. Most of them were rural dwellers. Most patients arrived after 24hrs of pain. The most frequent acute abdominal case in Leku general hospital found in the study was appendicitis (46.2%) followed by bowel obstruction (34.2%). Small bowel volvulus was the common cause for small bowel obstruction. Most of the acute abdomen cases (84.9%) were operated by integrated emergency surgery professionals (IESO). From the 88 bowel related emergency operations 47.% of them needed resection and anastomosis. The mortality rate in the study was found 2.2%.

Conclusion: the leading cause of acute abdomen was found appendicitis. Majority of the cases were operated by IESO and their role were remarkable in this general emergency surgery interventions. The fatality rate was 2.2% this was lower than other studies in the country

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