Paediatric Gastrointestinal Surgical Pathologies in Cameroon: Prevalence, Clinical Patterns, and Outcomes in Three Referral Hospitals

Key findings. Of 1349 pediatric surgical admissions, 198 (14.7%) were due to gastrointestinal pathologies. Intestinal obstruction was the most common diagnosis (42.5%), followed by appendicitis (28.2%), intussusception (14.6%), and perforated typhoid ileitis (10.5%). The majority of patients (61%) presented late, after more than 72 hours of symptom onset. Complications occurred in 17%, including peritonitis and sepsis. The overall mortality rate was 7.8%, with neonatal intestinal obstruction contributing most deaths

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