Prognostic factors in childhood intra-abdominal sepsis

Over a 36-month period, prognostic factors in childhood intra-abdominal abscesses were evaluated in fifty-five Nigerian children (38 boys [69.1%] and 17 girls [30.9%] aged 2 months-15 years (mean 8.9, SD 4.3 years). The mortality rate was 20%. The adverse prognostic factors were: a high fever, a positive blood culture, subphrenic location of abscesses, abscesses associated with a typhoid perforation, post-operative abscesses, presence of organ impairment, and multiple abscesses occurring together in the same patient. The age of the patient, duration of illness before hospitalization as well as the number and type of microorganisms cultured from the abscess did not have any influence on the prognosis in the children in this study.