Zinabu Ayenew ,Abraham Tamirat Gizaw *,Desta Workneh ,Netsanet Fentahun
Background: Acute abdomen is an acute onset of abdominal disease entities that require immediate surgical intervention in most of the cases. The causes of non-traumatic surgical acute and their relative incidence varies in different populations. Objective: To determine the magnitude and the common causes as well presenting features and the outcome of non-traumatic surgical acute abdomen (In Nekemte Referral Hospital, Oromia region, Ethiopia). Methods: A retrospective cross sectional study was conducted using data available at Nekemte Referral Hospital from January 2011 to December 2013. We examined 295 records of the patients from the medical records. Data were collected using checklist based on registration books. The data were entered and analyzed using SPSS version 20.0 statistical package. The association between the independent and dependent variable was assessed by bivariate and multivariate regression analyses. A 95% CI and p-value of ≤0.05 were used to determine independent predictors of outcome of non-traumatic surgical acute abdomen. Results: Out of 295 patients, 230 were males and 65 were females. The age ranged from 6 months to 80 years with a mean age of 33.7 ± 18.6 years. Out of 295, 57.6% was rural and 46.4% were urban dwellers. The most common cause of acute abdomen was acute appendicitis 140(47.4%) followed by bowl obstruction 118(40.0%). Age, Residence, Duration of illness and length of hospital stays are independent predictors of management outcomes of non-Traumatic acute abdomen. Conclusion: Complications were more in cases from rural area due to delay at presentation and no operation facility and surgeons for solutions.