TITLE:
Skin and Soft Tissue Infections in the Surgical Area at the Kara Teaching Hospital
AUTHORS:
Tamegnon Dossouvi, Tchaa Hodabalo Towoezim, Efoé-Ga Olivier Amouzou, Kokou Kouliwa Kanassoua, Irokoura Kassagne, Ayi Amavi, Abossisso Sakiye, Komlan Adabra, Ekoué David Dosseh
KEYWORDS:
Skin and Soft Tissue Infections, Necrotizing Fasciitis, Erysipelas, Emergency
JOURNAL NAME:
Surgical Science,
Vol.15 No.2,
February
27,
2024
ABSTRACT: Objective: To
report the management of skin and soft tissue infections in the surgical area
of Kara University Hospital in Togo. Material and Methods: This study
was conducted retrospectively from January 1, 2021, to December 31, 2022, in
the general surgery and orthopedic trauma departments. The study focused on
soft tissue infections of the pelvic and thoracic limbs and analyzed
epidemiological, clinical, paraclinical, therapeutic, and evolutionary data. Results: We registered 165 patients, comprising 109 men and 56 women.The sex ratio (F/H)
were 0.51. The mean age was 45 years with extremes ranging from 23 to 90 years.
Farmers (64.8%) followed by housewives (34.0%) were the social strata most
affected. The consultation period varied between 1 and 90 days. The pathologies
found were necrotizing fasciitis (53.3%), erysipelas (18.2%), infected limb
wounds (12.1%), pyomyositis (9.7%), and necrotizing dermo-hypodermitis (1.8%).
The main procedures performed were necrosectomy and grafting (62.9%), sample
necrosectomy (18.8%), drainage (9.7%), and pelvic limb amputation (1.2%).
Follow-up was favorable in 86.7% of cases. The study noted a death rate of
13.3% due to septic shock secondary to a delay in consultation. Conclusion: Skin and soft tissue infections were a common reason for surgical
hospitalization at Kara University Hospital, with a high mortality rate due to
delayed consultations.