Surgical Site Infections in Emergency Abdominal Surgery at Tamale Teaching Hospital, Ghana.

Background: Surgical site infections (SSIs) result in delayed wound healing, increased use of antibiotics and increased length of hospital stay, putting remarkable physical and financial burden on patients, their relatives and the healthcare facilities. Patient-related factors, such as pre-existing colonization with antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and clinical-related factors, such as adherence to sterile techniques, contribute to the development of SSIs. The objective of this study, therefore, was to determine the SSI rate and risk factors for emergency abdominal surgeries at Tamale Teaching Hospital, Ghana.

Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy at the korle bu teaching hospital, accra, ghana.

Summary Objectives: To study the indications for endoscopy, the endoscopic diagnosis and other lessons learnt.

Methods: A retrospective and prospective audit of all upper gastrointestinal endoscopies performed in the Endoscopy Unit of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital from January 1995 to December 2002 was performed.

Results: A total of 6977 patients, 3777 males and 3200 females with age range 1 year 8 months to 93 years were endoscoped.