V Y Kong1, B Sartorius1, D L Clarke1. 1. Pietermaritzburg Metropolitan Hospital Complex, Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal , South Africa.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Acute appendicitis in the developing world has a markedly different disease profile to that in the developed world. METHODS: A retrospective study was undertaken over a four-year period at a university hospital in South Africa to review the disease spectrum and the clinical outcome of acute appendicitis. RESULTS: A total of 1,004 patients (54% male, median age: 18 years) with intraoperatively confirmed appendicitis were reviewed. Over half (56%) were from the urban district within the city of Pietermaritzburg and the remaining 44% were from the rural health district. The median duration of illness from onset to definitive care was 4 days. Sixty per cent of appendices were perforated and associated with intra-abdominal contamination. Forty per cent of patients required reoperation to control intra-abdominal sepsis. Ten per cent required admission to the intensive care unit. The median overall length of hospital stay was 5 days. The mortality rate was 1%. Rural patients had a longer median duration of illness (3 vs 5 days, p<0.001) as well as a more advanced disease profile associated with perforation and severe intra-abdominal sepsis (19% vs 71%, p<0.001). Female patients had a longer median duration of illness (3 vs 4 days, p<0.001), were more likely to present with severe intra-abdominal sepsis (31% vs 54%, p<0.001) and were more likely to require a laparotomy (50% vs 73%, p<0.001). The total cost of managing the entire cohort of 1,004 patients over the 4-year period was £2,060,972. CONCLUSIONS: Acute appendicitis in South Africa is a serious disease associated with significant morbidity. Late presentation is common. Female and rural patients have the worst clinical outcomes, with significant cost to the health system.
INTRODUCTION:Acute appendicitis in the developing world has a markedly different disease profile to that in the developed world. METHODS: A retrospective study was undertaken over a four-year period at a university hospital in South Africa to review the disease spectrum and the clinical outcome of acute appendicitis. RESULTS: A total of 1,004 patients (54% male, median age: 18 years) with intraoperatively confirmed appendicitis were reviewed. Over half (56%) were from the urban district within the city of Pietermaritzburg and the remaining 44% were from the rural health district. The median duration of illness from onset to definitive care was 4 days. Sixty per cent of appendices were perforated and associated with intra-abdominal contamination. Forty per cent of patients required reoperation to control intra-abdominal sepsis. Ten per cent required admission to the intensive care unit. The median overall length of hospital stay was 5 days. The mortality rate was 1%. Rural patients had a longer median duration of illness (3 vs 5 days, p<0.001) as well as a more advanced disease profile associated with perforation and severe intra-abdominal sepsis (19% vs 71%, p<0.001). Female patients had a longer median duration of illness (3 vs 4 days, p<0.001), were more likely to present with severe intra-abdominal sepsis (31% vs 54%, p<0.001) and were more likely to require a laparotomy (50% vs 73%, p<0.001). The total cost of managing the entire cohort of 1,004 patients over the 4-year period was £2,060,972. CONCLUSIONS:Acute appendicitis in South Africa is a serious disease associated with significant morbidity. Late presentation is common. Female and rural patients have the worst clinical outcomes, with significant cost to the health system.
Authors: Victor Y Kong; Stefan van der Linde; Colleen Aldous; Jonathan J Handley; Damian L Clarke Journal: Can J Surg Date: 2014-08 Impact factor: 2.089
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Authors: Brittney M Williams; Laura N Purcell; Carlos Varela; Jared Gallaher; Anthony Charles Journal: J Surg Res Date: 2020-10-28 Impact factor: 2.192
Authors: Matthew C Hernandez; Victor Y Kong; John L Bruce; Johnathon M Aho; Grant L Laing; Martin D Zielinski; Damian L Clarke Journal: World J Surg Date: 2018-11 Impact factor: 3.352
Authors: Massimo Sartelli; Alain Chichom-Mefire; Francesco M Labricciosa; Timothy Hardcastle; Fikri M Abu-Zidan; Abdulrashid K Adesunkanmi; Luca Ansaloni; Miklosh Bala; Zsolt J Balogh; Marcelo A Beltrán; Offir Ben-Ishay; Walter L Biffl; Arianna Birindelli; Miguel A Cainzos; Gianbattista Catalini; Marco Ceresoli; Asri Che Jusoh; Osvaldo Chiara; Federico Coccolini; Raul Coimbra; Francesco Cortese; Zaza Demetrashvili; Salomone Di Saverio; Jose J Diaz; Valery N Egiev; Paula Ferrada; Gustavo P Fraga; Wagih M Ghnnam; Jae Gil Lee; Carlos A Gomes; Andreas Hecker; Torsten Herzog; Jae Il Kim; Kenji Inaba; Arda Isik; Aleksandar Karamarkovic; Jeffry Kashuk; Vladimir Khokha; Andrew W Kirkpatrick; Yoram Kluger; Kaoru Koike; Victor Y Kong; Ari Leppaniemi; Gustavo M Machain; Ronald V Maier; Sanjay Marwah; Michael E McFarlane; Giulia Montori; Ernest E Moore; Ionut Negoi; Iyiade Olaoye; Abdelkarim H Omari; Carlos A Ordonez; Bruno M Pereira; Gerson A Pereira Júnior; Guntars Pupelis; Tarcisio Reis; Boris Sakakhushev; Norio Sato; Helmut A Segovia Lohse; Vishal G Shelat; Kjetil Søreide; Waldemar Uhl; Jan Ulrych; Harry Van Goor; George C Velmahos; Kuo-Ching Yuan; Imtiaz Wani; Dieter G Weber; Sanoop K Zachariah; Fausto Catena Journal: World J Emerg Surg Date: 2017-07-10 Impact factor: 5.469