Emergency general surgical admissions. Prospective institutional experience in non-traumatic acute abdomen: implications for education, training and service.

Abstract

In our setting, NTAA was the most common cause for general surgical admissions, accounting for 30% and 54% of the total surgical and emergency surgical admissions respectively. Most of the patients were young and acute appendicitis was the most common diagnosis. Further National/regional multicenter studies are needed to assess the trend of emergency surgical admissions and their impact on surgical practice, overall health care costs, medical education and training in SA.