Outcomes after surgery for children in Africa (ASOS-Paeds)
Topic overview
Prospective 14-day cohort study across 249 African hospitals found 18% postoperative complication rate and 2.3% mortality in 8,625 pediatric surgical patients. Infections were the predominant complication, with 85% of deaths occurring after emergency procedures, highlighting significant gaps in pediatric surgical safety across resource-limited settings.
Key takeaways
- Pediatric surgical mortality in Africa is 11-fold higher than high-income countries (23 vs 2 deaths per 1000 children).
- Postoperative complications occurred in 18% of children, with infections being the most common (11.4%).
- 84.9% of deaths occurred after emergency surgeries, highlighting the critical need for timely intervention.
- Only 54% of operating rooms were deemed safe for neonatal anesthesia and surgery, indicating infrastructure gaps.
- High failure-to-rescue rates suggest need for improved postoperative monitoring and complication management protocols.
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