[Retrospective study of visceral surgical emergencies in children at the University Hospital Center of Brazzaville (Congo)].

The purpose of this study was to estimate the Incidence of visceral surgical emergencies In children and to determine the main causes and their prognoses. A retrospective study was carried out among children ranging from 1 month to 15 years who underwent emergency visceral surgery in the pediatric surgery unit of the University Hospital Center in Brazzaville, Congo. A total of 185 of the 206 children (14.1%) admitted for emergency visceral surgery were included In the study. The study population was predominantly male (67%). Most patients (71.3%) were over 5 years of age. The main indications for visceral surgery were acute appendicitis (30.3%), peritonitis (28.1%), strangulated hernia (22.2%), abdominal contusion (7.6%), intussusception (6.4%), other causes of intestinal obstruction (2.7%), and abdominal wounds (2.7%). Peritonitis was due to ruptured appendix in 76.9% of cases. Strangulated hernias were inguinal in 70.7% of cases and wnbilical in 29.3%. Intussusception was idiopathic in all cases and usually observed in infants under 6 months of age (58.3%). Postoperative recovery was uneventful in 79.5% of cases and complicated in 16.2%. EIght deaths (4.3%) were recorded. For the patient that died, the delay between initial symptoms and admission was longer than 3 days in 87.5% of cases and the interval for surgical treatment was longer than 6 hours in all cases. Early diagnosis and prompt surgical treatment are favorable prognostic factors for the outcome of emergency visceral surgery.