A Study of the incidence of Appendicectomy in the University Teaching Hospital Lusaka,Zambia

Abstract

Over a six year period, a total 558 appendectomies were performed in the University Teaching Hospital, Lusaka and St. Frances' Hospital, Katete. Out of 558 appendicectomies, 538 (96.42 percent) were performed in the UTH and 20 (3.58 percent) were in Katete. The incidence of appendicectomy in Lusaka was 73 and in Katete 21 per 1,000,000 population. It comprised 0.80 percent of all operations and 11.10 percent of abdominal operations in the UTH. The ration of male to female was 1.51 : 1 in the UTH and 2.33 : 1 in Katete. The commonest age group was between 21-30. There was a higher incidence of appendicectomies during the months of October to January. In the University Teaching Hospital acute appendicitis, recurrent appendicitis and incidental appendicitis comprised 83.46, 11.15 and 5.39 percent respectively. Whereas in Katete these figures were 95.5 and 0 respectively. In the UTH, perforation was commonest in the age groups 0-10 and 41-50 years, 46.30 and 48.89 percent of total numbers respectively. In 1996, Schistosoma ova was seen in four out of 122 specimens in the UTH and 2 out of 6 in Katete. Mortality was 0.93 percent in the UTH. There was no death recorded in Katete.