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World Journal of Surgery
Published in: World Journal of Surgery 3/2018

Open Access 01-03-2018 | Original Scientific Report

The Met Needs for Pediatric Surgical Conditions in Sierra Leone: Estimating the Gap

Authors: Carmen Mesas Burgos, Håkon Angell Bolkan, Donald Bash-Taqi, Lars Hagander, Johan Von Screeb

Published in: World Journal of Surgery | Issue 3/2018

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Abstract

Background

In low- and middle-income countries, there is a gap between the need for surgery and its equitable provision, and a lack of proxy indicators to estimate this gap. Sierra Leone is a West African country with close to three million children. It is unknown to what extent the surgical needs of these children are met.

Aim

To describe a nationwide provision of pediatric surgical procedures and to assess pediatric hernia repair as a proxy indicator for the shortage of surgical care in the pediatric population in Sierra Leone.

Methods

We analyzed results from a nationwide facility survey in Sierra Leone that collected data on surgical procedures from operation and anesthesia logbooks in all facilities performing surgery. We included data on all patients under the age of 16 years undergoing surgery. Primary outcomes were rate and volume of surgical procedures. We calculated the expected number of inguinal hernia in children and estimated the unmet need for hernia repair.

Results

In 2012, a total of 2381 pediatric surgical procedures were performed in Sierra Leone. The rate of pediatric surgical procedures was 84 per 100,000 children 0–15 years of age. The most common pediatric surgical procedure was hernia repair (18%), corresponding to a rate of 16 per 100,000 children 0–15 years of age. The estimated unmet need for inguinal hernia repair was 88%.

Conclusions

The rate of pediatric surgery in Sierra Leone was very low, and inguinal hernia was the single most common procedure noted among children in Sierra Leone.
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Metadata
Title
The Met Needs for Pediatric Surgical Conditions in Sierra Leone: Estimating the Gap
Authors
Carmen Mesas Burgos
Håkon Angell Bolkan
Donald Bash-Taqi
Lars Hagander
Johan Von Screeb
Publication date
01-03-2018
Publisher
Springer International Publishing
Published in
World Journal of Surgery / Issue 3/2018
Print ISSN: 0364-2313
Electronic ISSN: 1432-2323
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00268-017-4244-8

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