Table 1.
Characteristics of patients presenting to Kamuzu Central Hospital with an incarcerated inguinal hernia.
| Incarcerated Inguinal Hernias (n = 297) | |
|---|---|
|
| |
| Age (years), median (IQR) | 38 (28–52) |
| Male, n (%) | 278 (93.6) |
| Occupation, n (%) | |
| Peasant Farmer | 141 (47.8) |
| Small Business Owner | 34 (11.5) |
| Student | 22 (7.5) |
| Homemaker | 14 (4.8) |
| Construction | 10 (3.4) |
| Office/Bank worker | 9 (3.1) |
| Unemployed | 39 (13.2) |
| Comorbidities, n (%) | |
| Hypertension | 3 (1.0) |
| Malaria | 11 (3.7) |
| None | 191 (64.3) |
| HIV | 11 (3.7) |
| Missing/unknown | 81 (27.3) |
| Initial HR, n (%) | |
| ≤ 100 | 170 (57.2) |
| > 100 | 37 (12.5) |
| Missing | 90 (30.3) |
| Initial SBP, n % | |
| ≤ 90 | 4 (1.4) |
| > 90 | 202 (68.0) |
| Missing | 91 (30.6) |
| Initial RR, n (%) | |
| < 20 | 12 (4.0) |
| ≥ 20 | 109 (36.7) |
| Missing | 176 (59.3) |
| Shock index, n (%) | |
| Shock (index ≥ 1) | 11 (3.7) |
| Not in shock (index < 1) | 195 (65.7) |
| Missing | 91 (30.6) |
| Transferred, n (%) | 213 (72.0) |
| Admission disposition, n (%) | |
| Discharged | 1 (0.3) |
| Ward | 296 (99.7) |
| ICU | 0 (0) |
| Underwent an imaging study on arrival a, n (%) | 94 (31.7) |
| Underwent surgery, n (%) | 243 (81.8) |
| Disposition of those that did not undergo surgery, n (%) [N=53] | |
| Discharge | 42 (79.2) |
| Abscond | 9 (17.0) |
| Death | 2 (3.8) |
| Time from presentation at any health care facility to operative intervention, n (%) | |
| < 1 day | 1,084 (44.9) |
| ≥ 1 day | 1,332 (55.1) |
| Strangulated inguinal hernia, n (%) | 58 (19.5) |
| Bowel perforation, n (%) | 2 (0.7) |
| Ileostomy or colostomy | 3 (1.0) |
| Post-op Complications, n (%) | |
| Take back | 3 (1.0) |
| Wound infection | 3 (1.0) |
| Disposition, n (%) | |
| Death | 16 (5.4) |
| Discharge | 269 (90.9) |
| Abscond | 10 (3.4) |
| Transfer | 1 (0.3) |
a
X-Ray or ultrasound