Independent Predictors of Prolonged Postoperative Ileus in Children Undergoing Abdominal Surgery at the Kenyatta National Hospital

Abstract

Prolonged post operative ileus is a disorder of gastrointestinal motility most frequently occurring after abdominal surgery. It has a reported incidence ranging from 3 – 32%. It is controlled by several physiologic mechanisms. Its clinical picture is variable. It has several complications, including electrolyte imbalance and sepsis. This study aimed to determine the independent predictors of PPOI in children undergoing abdominal surgery at the Kenyatta National Hospital. Previous studies have found that male gender, American society of Anesthesiologist grade 3-4, lower pre-operative albumin, duration of surgery > 3 hours, preoperative diagnoses, estimated blood loss, and total opioid dosage to be risk elements for the emergence of PPOI Objective To determine the independent predictors of PPOI in children undergoing abdominal surgery in KNH Methodology A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the independent PPOI predictors in a consecutive sample of patients aged below 13 years who underwent abdominal surgery at the Kenyatta National Hospital. A data collection form was used to gather data from patients admitted in KNH wards and critical care areas and admitted Information on Perioperative factors affecting post-operative ileus was collected. The data was summarized into frequencies and percentages. Univariate analysis was used to identify the association between each independent variable and outcome. A multivariate analysis was then be done to identify independent predictors.

Expected Outcomes Independent PPOI predictors in children having abdominal surgery in KNH which were identified. These findings can lead to improved surgical treatment decisions, better preoperative risk factor management, earlier post-operative identification, and enhanced care.