Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review

General Surgical Emergencies

Colin McCord, Doruk Ozgediz, Jessica H Beard, Haile T Debas
Haile T Debas, Peter Donkor, Atul Gawande, Dean T Jamison, Margaret E Kruk, Charles N Mock
, editors.
In: Essential Surgery: Disease Control Priorities, Third Edition (Volume 1). Washington (DC): The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The World Bank; 2015 Apr 2. Chapter 4.
Free Books & Documents
Review

General Surgical Emergencies

Colin McCord et al.
Free Books & Documents

Excerpt

In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), at least 60 percent of the surgical operations performed are for emergencies. Contrary to widespread belief, it has been shown that the provision of treatment, which is often lifesaving for these patients, can be inexpensive. The staff and equipment required at first-level facilities for all categories of surgical emergency, including trauma (chapter 3) and obstetrics (chapter 5), are essentially the same. Accordingly, the treatment of general surgical emergencies requires little additional cost and should be part of the services offered at first-level facilities. This chapter

The chapter is written for two primary audiences, health planners and surgeons in LMICs, to show each group how much can be provided and accomplished in very simple facilities, given adequate training and support.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Abdullah F, Choo S, Hesse A A, Abantanga F, Sory E. others. 2011. “Assessment of Surgical and Obstetrical Care at 10 District Hospitals in Ghana Using On-Site Interviews.” Journal of Surgical Research 171 (2): 461–66. doi:10.1016/j.jss.2010.04.016. - PubMed
    1. Adesunkanmi A R, Agbakwuru E A. 1996. “Changing Pattern of Acute Intestinal Obstruction in a Tropical African Population.” East African Medical Journal 73 (11): 727–31. - PubMed
    1. Afsana K. 2004. “The Tremendous Cost of Seeking Hospital Obstetric Care in Bangladesh.” Reproductive Health Matters 12 (24): 171–80. - PubMed
    1. Ahmed M, Shah M, Luby S, Drago-Johnson P, Wali S. 1999. “Survey of Surgical Emergencies in a Rural Population in the Northern Areas of Pakistan.” Tropical Medicine and International Health 4 (12): 846–57. - PubMed
    1. Bainbridge D, Martin J, Arango M, Cheng D. 2012. “Perioperative and Anaesthetic-Related Mortality in Developed and Developing Countries: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.” The Lancet 380 (9847): 1075–81. doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(12)60990-8. - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources