Determinants of postoperative morbidity and mortality in children managed for typhoid intestinal perforation in Kano Nigeria

Background

Intestinal perforation is a serious but poorly understood complication of typhoid fever. This study aims to determine the patient factors associated with postoperative morbidity and mortality.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed the records of all children presenting to our unit with typhoid intestinal perforation (TIP) between March 2009 and December 2013. The patients were grouped based on postoperative outcome status and were compared with respect to patient related variables, using chi square test. Multivariate analysis was performed using a binary logistic regression model. Significance was assigned to a p-value < 0.05.

Results

The records of 129 children were analyzed. There were 78 (60.5%) boys and 51 (39.5%) girls. The male/female ratio was 1.53:1. Their ages ranged from 3 years to 13 years (mean 8.14 years; SD 2.61 years). A single intestinal perforation was seen in 73.4% (94/128) of them, while 26.6% (34/128) had two or more. Mortality rate was 10.9%. Multivariate analysis showed that multiple intestinal perforations significantly predicted postoperative mortality (p = 0.005) and development of postoperative fecal fistula (p = 0.013), while serum albumin < 32 g/L was a predictor of postoperative surgical site infection (p = 0.002).

Conclusion

Multiple intestinal perforations, a postoperative fecal fistula and hypoalbuminemia adversely affected outcome in our patients.

Level of evidence

III (Retrospective study). Type of study—Prognosis study.