Predictor of mortality in children with typhoid intestinal perforation in a Tertiary Hospital in Nigeria

Morbidity and Mortality of Typhoid Intestinal Perforation Among Children in Sub-Saharan Africa 1995-2019: A Scoping Review

BACKGROUND

Typhoid fever incidence and complications, including intestinal perforation, have declined significantly in high-income countries, with mortality rates <1%. However, an estimated 10.9 million cases still occur annually, most in low- and middle-income countries. With the availability of a new typhoid conjugate vaccine licensed for children and recommended by the World Health Organization, understanding severe complications, including associated mortality rates, is essential to inform country-level decisions on introduction of this vaccine. This scoping review summarizes over 20 years of the literature on typhoid intestinal perforation in sub-Saharan Africa.

METHODS

We searched EMBASE, PubMed, Medline, and Cochrane databases for studies reporting mortality rates due to typhoid intestinal perforation in children, under 18 years old, in sub-Saharan Africa published from January 1995 through June 2019.

RESULTS

Twenty-four papers from six countries were included. Reported mortality rates ranged from 4.6-75%, with 16 of the 24 studies between 11 and 30%. Thirteen papers included postoperative morbidity rates, ranging from 16-100%. The most documented complications included surgical site infections, intra-abdominal abscesses, and enterocutaneous fistulas. High mortality rates can be attributed to late presentation to tertiary centers, sepsis and electrolyte abnormalities requiring preoperative resuscitation, prolonged perforation-to-surgery interval, and lack of access to critical care or an intensive care unit postoperatively.

CONCLUSIONS

Current estimates of mortality related to typhoid intestinal perforation among children in sub-Saharan Africa remain unacceptably high. Prevention of typhoid fever is essential to reduce mortality, with the ultimate goal of a comprehensive approach that utilizes vaccination, improvements in water, sanitation, and hygiene, and greater access to surgical care.

Typhoid Intestinal Perforations: Has the Clinical Importance Decreased in Eastern Anatolia for 36 Years?

OBJECTIVE

Typhoid fever (TF) is an important health problem in developing countries, and typhoid intestinal perforation (TIP) is a serious complication of TF. The present report aims to determine the clinical importance of TIPs for the last 36 years in our region, eastern Anatolia.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The clinical records of 84 surgically treated cases with TIPs were reviewed retrospectively.

RESULTS

When the last 36-year period was sectioned by 6-year periods, the distribution of TIPs was found as 39 (46.4% of total), 31 (36.9%), 7 (8.3%), 4 (4.8%), 2 (2.4%) and 1 (1.2%), respectively. The mean age of the patients was 37.1 years (range: 7-68 years), and 66 patients (78.6%) were male. As a surgical procedure, 34 patients (40.5%) had primary repair, 9 (10.7%) had wedge resection with primary repair, 9 (10.7%) had resection with primary anastomosis, 28 (33.3%) had resection with ileostomy, and 4 (4.8%) had exteriorization. Complications were seen in 71 patients (84.5%), while the mortality rate was 10.7% (9 patients).

CONCLUSION

Although eastern Anatolia is an endemic region for TF, a certain decrease in the incidence of TIPs was found for the last 36 years. Keeping in mind the TIP, patients with TF may improve the prognosis of this serious disease.

Challenges in measuring complications and death due to invasive Salmonella infections

Despite the highest burden of Typhoid fever in children globally, exact estimates of morbidity and mortality are lacking due to scarcity of published data. Despite a high prevalence and a socioeconomic burden in developing countries, published data with morbidity and mortality figures are limited especially Africa and South American regions. Data from the community is insufficient and most case fatality estimates are extrapolations from hospital based studies that do not cover all geographical regions, and include cases which may or not be culture confirmed, MDR resistant or sensitive cases, or from mixed populations of age (adults and children). Complications of typhoid such as intestinal perforation, bone marrow suppression, and encephalopathy are dependent on MDR/Fluoroquinolone resistant Salmonella infection, comorbidities such as malnutrition, and health-care access. Data is again insufficient to estimate the true burden of Typhoid Fever in different regions and groups of populations. Although there has been a rapid decline in cases in developed countries with the advent of improved sanitization, timely and easy access to health care and laboratories, this is still not the case in the developing countries where Typhoid deaths are still occurring. The way forward is to develop rapid and cost effective point of care diagnostic tests, put in place validated clinical algorithms for suspected clinical cases, and design prospective, and community based studies in different groups, implement maintenance of electronic health records in large public sector hospitals and regions to identify populations that will benefit most from the implementation of vaccine. Policies on public health education and typhoid vaccine may help to reduce morbidity and mortality due to the disease.

Predictors of mortality in children with typhoid ileal perforation in a Nigerian tertiary hospital

PURPOSE

Childhood typhoid ileal perforation is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Our aim was to ascertain the predictors of survival in children.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This is a tertiary hospital-based retrospective review of patients aged ≤15 years managed for typhoid ileal perforations between January 2005 and December 2013. The details of their biodata, potential risk factors and outcome were evaluated.

RESULTS

Forty-five children out of a total of 97 with typhoid fever had typhoid ileal perforation. The age range was 2-15 years, mean (±SD) = 9.3 (±3.31) years, median = 10 years. There were more males than females (26:19). Thirty-nine (86.7%) patients were >5 years old. There were nine deaths (20% mortality). The mean (±SD) age of survivors was 9.8 (±2.9) years and 7.1 (±4.2) for non-survivors (p = 0.026). The duration of illness at presentation, gender, admission temperature, nutritional status and packed cell volume, perforation-operation interval, number of perforations, surgical procedure, and the duration of surgery did not statistically influence survival (p > 0.05). The age of the patients and burst abdomen attained statistical significance (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The patients' age and postoperative burst abdomen were significant determinants of survival in children with typhoid ileal perforation.

Predictors of mortality in children with typhoid ileal perforation in a Nigerian tertiary hospital

PURPOSE

Childhood typhoid ileal perforation is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Our aim was to ascertain the predictors of survival in children.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This is a tertiary hospital-based retrospective review of patients aged ≤15 years managed for typhoid ileal perforations between January 2005 and December 2013. The details of their biodata, potential risk factors and outcome were evaluated.

RESULTS

Forty-five children out of a total of 97 with typhoid fever had typhoid ileal perforation. The age range was 2-15 years, mean (±SD) = 9.3 (±3.31) years, median = 10 years. There were more males than females (26:19). Thirty-nine (86.7%) patients were >5 years old. There were nine deaths (20% mortality). The mean (±SD) age of survivors was 9.8 (±2.9) years and 7.1 (±4.2) for non-survivors (p = 0.026). The duration of illness at presentation, gender, admission temperature, nutritional status and packed cell volume, perforation-operation interval, number of perforations, surgical procedure, and the duration of surgery did not statistically influence survival (p > 0.05). The age of the patients and burst abdomen attained statistical significance (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The patients' age and postoperative burst abdomen were significant determinants of survival in children with typhoid ileal perforation.

Case fatality rate and length of hospital stay among patients with typhoid intestinal perforation in developing countries: a systematic literature review

BACKGROUND

Typhoid fever remains a major health problem in the developing world. Intestinal perforation is a lethal complication and continues to occur in impoverished areas despite advances in preventive and therapeutic strategies.

OBJECTIVES

To estimate the case fatality rate (CFR) and length of hospital stay among patients with typhoid intestinal perforation in developing countries.

DATA SOURCES

Peer-reviewed publications listed in PubMed and Google Scholar.

STUDY ELIGIBILITY

The publications containing data on CFR or length of hospitalization for typhoid fever from low, lower middle and upper middle income countries based on World Bank classification. Limits are English language, human research and publication date from 1st January 1991 to 31st December 2011.

PARTICIPANTS

Subjects with reported typhoid intestinal perforation.

INTERVENTIONS

None, standard practice as reported in the publication.

STUDY APPRAISAL AND SYNTHESIS METHODS

Systematic literature review followed by meta-analysis after regional classification on primary data. Descriptive methods were applied on secondary data.

RESULTS

From 42 published reports, a total of 4,626 hospitalized typhoid intestinal perforation cases and 706 deaths were recorded (CFR = 15·4%; 95% CI; 13·0%-17·8%) with a significant regional differences. The overall mean length of hospitalization for intestinal perforation from 23 studies was 18.4 days (N = 2,542; 95% CI; 15.6-21.1).

LIMITATIONS

Most typhoid intestinal perforation studies featured in this review were from a limited number of countries.

CONCLUSIONS

The CFR estimated in this review is a substantial reduction from the 39.6% reported from a literature review for years 1960 to 1990. Aggressive resuscitation, appropriate antimicrobial coverage, and prompt surgical intervention may have contributed to decrease mortality.

IMPLICATIONS

The quantification of intestinal perforation outcomes and its regional disparities as presented here is valuable in prioritizing and targeting typhoid-preventive interventions to the most affected areas.