[Digestive system surgical emergencies in neonates at the University Hospital of Dakar]

The goal of this study was for the authors to evaluate their series of digestive surgical emergencies in the neonates. It is a retrospective study on 69 babies treated for a digestive surgical emergency between january 1998 and december 2000. Only 52 babies were born in a medical unit. There was one case of antenal diagnosis and 16 of immediate post-natal diagnosis. The babies ages in the delayed cases ranged from 1 to 17 days with a mean of 7 days and medium of 3 and 6 days. The following malformations were diagnosted: 41 anorectal malformations; 11 omphaloceles; 2 laparoschisis; oesophageal atresia in 8 cases; duodenalatresia in 5 cases; hirschsprungs disease in 2 cases. On presentation, 25 patients were dehydrated, 24 had respiratory difficulties, 5 a severe infection and 20 had hypothermia. The post operatives complications were mostly respiratory. Global mortality rate was 44.92%. The delay in diagnosis and hospital care, the occurrance of hypothermia and respiratory complications are the main reasons of this high mortality.