Intestinal obstruction at a provincial hospital in Kenya

To determine the presentation, aetiological pattern, management and outcome of intestinal obstruction at the Central Provincial General Hospital, Nyeri, Kenya.

A descriptive retrospective study.

Surgical Department, Central Provincial General Hospital, Nyeri, Kenya.

All patients who were admitted and operated on for intestinal obstruction in the surgical department of the above hospital between January 1992 and May 1999.

A total of 139 patients were studied. There were 102 males and 37 females giving a male:female ratio of 2.8:1. The age range was two days to 85 years with the majority (43.2%) of the patients being in the age group 0-10 years. Vomiting and abdominal pain were the commonest symptoms while abdominal distension and abdominal tenderness were the leading signs. Abount seventy of the patients had any form of investigation with plain abdominal x-ray being the leading investigation. Sigmoid volvulus, external herniae, adhesions and bands and ileo-colic intussusception were the commonest causes of bowel obstruction. About a third (32.4%) of the patients were found to have gangrenous gut. Sixty three complications were recorded in 47 patients, with the leading complication being death (17.3%) followed by wound infection (14.4%).

Five leading causes of intestinal obstruction in Nyeri, Kenya, are: sigmoid volvulus, external herniae, adhesions and bands, ileocolic intussusception and small bowel volvulus.