The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on paediatric surgical volumes in Africa: A retrospective observational study.

Background: The aim of this study is to investigate the impact that COVID-19 had on the pattern and trend of surgical volumes, urgency and reason for surgery during the first 6 months of the pandemic in sub-Saharan Africa.

Methods: This retrospective facility-based study involved collection of paediatric operation data from operating theatre records across 5 hospitals from 3 countries: Zimbabwe, Zambia and Nigeria over the first half of 2019 and 2020 for comparison. Data concerning diagnosis, procedure, anaesthesia, grade, speciality, NCEPOD classification and indication was collected.

Impact of corona virus disease 2019 pandemic on paediatric surgery in a sub-saharan tertiary hospital: An observational study.

Background: The impact of the corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on global health, has reached far beyond that caused by the disease itself. With ongoing mutations and the emergence of new strains of the virus alongside repeated waves of the pandemic, the full impact of the pandemic is still evolving and remains difficult to predict or evaluate. In paediatric surgery, it has led to significant disruptions in patient care, the extent and consequence of which are not fully documented in Nigeria.

Case report: Neonatal pancreatitis, chromosomal abnormality and duodenal stenosis in a newborn. A new syndrome?

Introduction: Pancreatitis is a dire clinical diagnosis with variable presentation in the paediatric population. Moreover, neonatal pancreatitis has been rarely reported in the English literature.

Presentation Of Case: A newborn, product of a poorly supervised, pre-term gestation with pre-natally diagnosed intestinal obstruction, and post-natal clinical features of jaundice, vomiting, abdominal distension, aphonation and suspected chromosomal abnormalities.