INTUSSUSCEPTIONS IN PAEDIATRIC SURGICAL PATIENTS: EPIDEMIOLOGY AND SURGICAL OUTCOMES

Background: Intussusception is a leading cause of acute intestinal obstruction in young children, often requiring urgent medical or surgical intervention. While extensively studied in high-income countries, data from resource-limited settings remain sparse, particularly in Pakistan. Objective: This study was aimed to evaluate the epidemiology, clinical presentation, management, and outcomes of paediatric intussusception at a tertiary care hospital. Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted over a period of 6 months from Dec, 2009 to May, 2010 in the Department of Paediatric Surgery, Khalifa Gulnawaz Teaching Hospital, Bannu Medical College, Bannu, Pakistan. Children aged 0 to 36 months diagnosed with intussusception were included. Data on demographic characteristics, clinical features, diagnostic methods, treatment modalities, and outcomes were collected and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: A total of 150 cases were included. The majority of patients (40%) were aged between 13 and 24 months, with a slight male predominance (53.3%). Most presented with abdominal pain, vomiting, and bloody stools within two days of symptom onset. Non-surgical reduction was the preferred treatment, achieved a success rate of 53.3%, ultrasound was primarily used and was used as a diagnostic tool in all the cases at 66.7%. In 40% surgical intervention was necessary because of failure to manage the cases by non-operative means or due to complications. The vast majority of the patients admitted to the hospital did not have a lengthy stay at the hospital as 73.3% of them were discharged within a period of 3 days and no patient died in the course of the study. The rate of relapse was 13.3%, and complications were seen in 20% of patients. Conclusion: The implication drawn from this study is that it underscores the benefits of early diagnosis and non-surgical intervention on paediatricintussusceptions. The results highlight the need for early presentation, diagnostic intervention, and caregiver knowledge to avert complications and surgery. More studies should be carried out to develop better care approaches specifically in the low-resource environment.