World Journal of Surgery

, Volume 36, Issue 11, pp 2554–2558 | Cite as

Assessment of Pediatric Surgery Capacity at Government Hospitals in Sierra Leone

  • Adam L. Kushner
  • Reinou S. Groen
  • Thaim B. Kamara
  • Richmond Dixon-Cole
  • Kisito S. Daoh
  • T. Peter Kingham
  • Benedict C. Nwomeh
Article
First Online:

Abstract

Background

Traditionally, efforts to reduce child mortality in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) have focused on infectious diseases. However, surgical care is increasingly seen as an important component of primary health care. To understand the baseline surgical capacity in LMICs, a number of studies have recently been published, but none has focused on pediatric surgery.

Methods

The Surgeons OverSeas (SOS) Personnel, Infrastructure, Procedures, Equipment and Supplies (PIPES) survey was used to collect surgical capacity data from government hospitals in Sierra Leone. The data were analyzed specifically to identify baseline needs for pediatric surgery.

Results

Nine hospitals were assessed, and all had a functioning laboratory to test blood and urine and were capable of undertaking resuscitation, suturing, wound débridement, incision and drainage of an abscess, appendectomy, and male circumcision. However, in only 67 % could a pediatric hernia repair be performed, and in none were more complex procedures such as cleft lip and clubfoot repairs performed. Fewer than 50 % of facilities had sufficient gloves, nasogastric tubes, intravenous cannulas, syringes, needles, sutures, urinary catheters, infusion sets, anesthesia machines, or compressed oxygen.

Conclusions

Using the standard PIPES tool, we found severe deficiencies in the pediatric surgical capacity at government hospitals in Sierra Leone. However, a pediatric-specific tool is required to understand more accurately the pediatric surgical situation.

Keywords

Clubfoot Surgical Care Male Circumcision Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Pediatric Surgeon 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
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Notes

Conflict of interest

None.

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Copyright information

© Société Internationale de Chirurgie 2012

Authors and Affiliations

  • Adam L. Kushner
    • 1
    • 2
  • Reinou S. Groen
    • 1
    • 3
  • Thaim B. Kamara
    • 4
  • Richmond Dixon-Cole
    • 4
  • Kisito S. Daoh
    • 5
  • T. Peter Kingham
    • 1
    • 6
  • Benedict C. Nwomeh
    • 1
    • 7
  1. 1.Surgeons OverSeas (SOS)New YorkUSA
  2. 2.Department of SurgeryColumbia UniversityNew YorkUSA
  3. 3.Department of International HealthRoyal Tropical InstituteAmsterdamThe Netherlands
  4. 4.Department of SurgeryConnaught HospitalFreetownSierra Leone
  5. 5.Ministry of Health and SanitationFreetownSierra Leone
  6. 6.Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer CenterNew YorkUSA
  7. 7.Nationwide Children’s HospitalColumbusUSA

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