Acute Generalized Peritonitis: Management in the General Surgery Department of Ignace Deen University Hospital

Introduction: The aim was to contribute to the management of acute generalized peritonitis (AGP) in the general surgery department of the Hôpital National Ignace Deen, Conakry. Methods: This was a 6-month dynamic descriptive study (June 1 - November 30, 2021) in the general surgery department of the Hôpital National Ignace Deen, CHU de Conakry. All patients received, operated on and followed up in the department for acute generalized peritonitis during the study period were included. Results: During the study period, we collected 245 cases of abdominal surgical emergencies, of which 62 were PAG, i.e. 25.3% of cases. The mean age was 33.9. The sex ratio was 3.13 in favor of men. Clinical signs included abdominal pain and abdominal contracture/defensiveness in all patients. An unprepared abdominal X-ray (UPX) was performed in 95.2% (n=59). Peptic ulcer perforation accounted for 41.9% (n=26) of cases. Cleansing followed by drainage was performed in all patients (100%). Excision and suturing of perforations were performed in 77.4% (n=48) of cases. Post-operative management was straightforward in 80.6% (n=50) of cases. We recorded 11.3% (n=7) surgical site infection and 6.4% (n=4) stercoral fistula. Mortality was 8.1% (n=5). Average hospital stay was 16.5 days. Conclusion: PAG is a frequent abdominal emergency. Their etiologies are multiple. Management is medical-surgical. Good resuscitation and peritoneal cleansing could improve the management of acute generalized peritonitis.