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Intussusception in children: a ten year review
1Ethio-Swedish Children's Hospital, Department of Paediatrics and Childhealth, Faculty of Medicine, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Insights
Intussusception, a serious intestinal condition, predominantly affected infants and young children. Late presentation for medical care significantly contributed to high mortality rates in these pediatric cases.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Surgery
- Gastroenterology
Background:
- Intussusception is a critical surgical emergency in children.
- Early diagnosis and intervention are vital for favorable outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the clinical characteristics and outcomes of intussusception cases.
- To identify factors contributing to mortality in pediatric intussusception.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective case series analysis.
- Review of 66 intussusception admissions over a 10-year period at ESCH, Addis Ababa.
Main Results:
- Males predominated; 85% of cases were children aged 2 years or younger.
- Common presentations included abdominal pain, vomiting, and bloody diarrhea.
- High mortality was observed, linked to delayed medical attention.
Conclusions:
- Intussusception disproportionately affects young children.
- Timely medical advice, diagnosis, and surgical intervention are crucial to reduce mortality.
Abstract:
Sixty six cases of intussusception were admitted to ESCH, Addis Ababa over a 10 year period. Males dominated in the series. Age distribution showed that 69.7% of the cases were < or = 1 year old, and 85% were < or = 2 years old. Abdominal pain, vomiting, bloody mucoid diarrhoea and mass palpated abdominally and/or rectally were the commonest modes of presentations. Intussusception occurred more often in well nourished children, but was rare in severely malnourished ones. An underlying intestinal pathology was found in two cases only. The mortality was high probably because the majority of cases presented late for medical attention. The need for early medical advice, diagnosis and intervention should reduce the mortality.