Stab Wounds of the Abdomen: Epidemiological, Clinical, Therapeutic and Evolutionary Aspects in the General Surgery Department of the N'zérékoré Regional Hospital (Guinea)

Aim: To determine the place of abdominal wounds among abdominal traumas and to describe their clinical, therapeutic and evolutionary aspects. Patients and Methods: This was a retrospective descriptive study based on analysis of the records of patients seen for abdominal stab wounds in the general surgery department of the N'Zérékoré regional hospital during the period from January 2011 to December 31, 2020. Epidemiological, clinical, therapeutic and evolutionary parameters were studied. Results: Out of a total of 745 cases of abdominal trauma, we found 89 cases of abdominal stab wounds, a frequency of 12.49%. The average age was 36, with a clear male predominance (78%). Pupils/students were the most represented (32.58%), and criminal assault was the most common circumstance (70.79%). Operative treatment was the most common (74%), and the small intestine was the organ most affected (34.84%); the after-effects were simple in 89.39% of patients, and we recorded 4 deaths (6.06%). Conclusion: Stab wounds of the abdomen are a real public health problem in Africa, especially in low-resource countries such as ours. Surgery is still indicated for severe injuries or complications.