Factors that contribute to the Late Presentation of Surgical Acute Abdomen of the patients attending Muhimbili National Hospital – Tanzania

Abstract Background: Acute abdomen is a sudden and severe abdominal pain associated with nausea or vomiting. Its prevalence is high in east Africa. In Tanzania, the most common cases of the acute abdomen are malignancies, intestinal obstruction and peptic ulcers. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in a general surgery clinic at Muhimbili National Hospital - Tanzania from March 2022 to August 2022. It aimed to show the contribution of Social-Demographic as well as health-related factors to the late presentation of Surgical Acute Abdomen in patients attending Muhimbili National Hospital in Tanzania. The data were inserted and analyzed by SPSS, a Frequency distribution table was used to summarize social-demographic characteristics, and a Chi-Square (Fisher Exact) was used to find an association of those factors with the Surgical Abdomen. Results: A total of 170 patients participated in the study, of them males were 115 (67.6%) and the females were 55 (32.4%). The mean age was 37 years with a standard deviation of 20 years in which the Maximum and Minimum were 85 and 0.2 years respectively. Age was a significant (p-0.05) factor in the late acute surgical abdomen in which an older group (76.2%) was shown to be presented Late than other groups. Non-formal (83.3%) and un education (70.0%) were the strongest factors in leading to Late and Acute Abdominal Surgery while educated groups like University/College had shown to be presented early (59.9%) to the Acute abdominal Surgery although was not a statically significant (p-0.121). Government employment had shown less effect (44.4%) on causing late surgical acute abdomen than private and self-ones (52.6%, 54.1%) (p-0.94). The family had shown a statically significant (p-0.03) effect on the emergence of the acute abdominal surgery in which the cohabiting one had an increasing chance (88.9%) of being Late to the hospital for surgical procedures. An appropriate surgeon’s task force (52.7%) was also a factor to cause a late surgical acute abdomen for those patients although was not statically significant (p-0.751). Conclusion: Non-formal education, cohabiting family, self and private employment, adequate health staff and increasing age were the factors contributing to Late Surgical Acute abdomen for patients who attended Muhimbili National Hospital in Tanzania.