Intussusception in children: international perspective

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D E Meier1, C D Coln, F J Rescorla

  • 1Department of Surgery, Children's Medical Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75235, U.S.A.

World Journal of Surgery
|October 1, 1996
PubMed

Insights

Children with intussusception in developing countries face worse outcomes due to treatment delays and inadequate care. Improving early recognition and postoperative monitoring is crucial for reducing mortality in these cases.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Surgery
  • Global Health

Background:

  • Intussusception is a common surgical emergency in children.
  • Outcomes for intussusception vary significantly between developed and developing countries.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare intussusception treatment outcomes in a developing country with those in American hospitals.
  • To identify factors contributing to poorer outcomes in developing nations.
  • To recommend strategies for improving pediatric intussusception care globally.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective comparison of 50 consecutive pediatric intussusception cases from a developing country hospital with 100 cases from two American children's hospitals.
  • Analysis of treatment approaches, symptom duration, bowel viability, and mortality rates.

Main Results:

  • Developing country children experienced longer symptom duration, higher rates of nonviable bowel, and an 18% mortality rate.
  • American hospitals reported no deaths and utilized nonoperative reduction, which was unavailable in the developing country.
  • Poorer outcomes in the developing country were linked to delayed treatment, nonviable bowel, and insufficient nursing care.

Conclusions:

  • Nonoperative reduction alone would not significantly reduce mortality in the developing country setting.
  • Reducing mortality requires earlier diagnosis and treatment of intussusception.
  • Enhanced postanesthetic care with improved monitoring is essential for managing postoperative complications promptly.

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