Acute appendicitis in Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital Sagamu, a three year review.

BACKGROUND

Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital is located in Sagamu, a suburban town with a population of 50,000 (1992 census). The hospital is a tertiary care facility in competition with a large number of private hospitals with different levels of competence.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of the study is to review the outcome of the surgical management of acute appendicitis in our hospital.

METHOD

A retrospective study of subjects who had appendectomy for the clinical diagnosis of acute appendicitis between January 2002 and December 2004 was done.

RESULT

113 subjects consisting of 52 females (46%), and 61 males (54%) were studied. The mean age was 24.1 years, 71 subjects (62.9%) were in the 10-30 years range. 57.5% of the subjects were students and 71 subjects (62.8) resided in urban area. All the subjects, had generalized in 23.9%). The mean duration of symptoms was 3.53 days with standard deviation of 3.69 days. Only 3 subjects presented on the day of onset of symptoms. Only 15 subjects (13.3%) had surgery on the day of admission. 69subjects (61.1%) had uncomplicated inflamed appendix at surgery and 2 subjects (1.8%) had clinically normal appendix. The mean duration of hospital stay was 10.6 days with standard deviation of 7.4. The commonest postoperative complication was pyrexia in 16 subjects (14.2%), followed by wound infection in 12 subjects (10.6%). One subject died (0.9%).

CONCLUSION

The outcome reflects the late presentation and delay in surgical treatment.