[Digestive tract perforations at Point G Teaching Hospital in Bamako, Mali].

AIMS: To determine the most frequent causes of the digestive perforations and to evaluate the surgical procedures, the morbidity and mortality.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: It was about a retrospective descriptive study, over 5 year's period in a visceral service of CHU du Point G, Bamako. Were included in the study all the patients operated for digestive perforation and hospitalized in the service of surgery "A". Were not included in the study patient operated not presenting a digestive perforation. Per operational etiologies of the perforations and their frequency were determined, as well as the morbidity and morbidity and mortality.

RESULTS: Files of 202 patients were collected. The average age of the patients was 28.3 ± 15.5 years with extremes of 6 and 71 years. The frequency of digestive perforations was higher in the age from 11 to 20 years (29.7%). The average time of consultation was of 7± 6 days. Abdominal pains, nauseas and vomiting, matter and gas stop (48.5%) were the most current functional signs. A "wood belly" abdomen was found in 72,3% of the cases. The radiography of abdomen without preparation found a diffuse greyness (64.7%), a pneumoperitoine (30.7%). A double antibiotic therapy was made in all the cases. A median laparotomy was practiced in 98,5%, and laparoscopy in 3 cases (1.5%). A single perforation was found among 172 patients (85,1%). Morbidity, all confused causes, was made of 30 cases of parietal suppurations (14.8%). Total mortality was 74%. According to aetiologies it was 10.3% in the typhic perforations, 4.6% in the appendicular perforations and 4.9% in the perforations of gastroduodenal ulcers.

CONCLUSION: The most frequent aetiologies of digestive perforation in our context were the typhoid fever, acute appendicitis and the gastroduodenal ulcer. The résection - joining and peritoneal toilet were the most practised procedure. The main factor of bad outcome remains the diagnostic delay burdening morbidity and mortality.