A Study on Various Modes of Presentation of Gastrointestinal Tuberculosis at Emergency, Its Management and Outcomes

Abstract

Abdominal tuberculosis is the 6 th most common form of extrapulmonary tuberculosis, among which ileocaecal tuberculosis is most common. Tuberculosis has been declared a global emergency by the World Health Organization (WHO) and is the most important communicable disease worldwide. Approximately one third of the world population is infected and about three millions die each year from this disease. It presents with a wide variety of symptoms and signs. Gastrointestinal tuberculosis presents to emergency department as subacute intestinal obstruction, acute intestinal obstruction and peritonitis. Although Antitubercular chemotherapy is the mainstay in treatment of abdominal tuberculosis, surgical intervention becomes necessary for two reasons-diagnostic and therapeutic. Diagnostic laparotomy becomes necessary for histopathological/microbiological diagnosis, more often in patients with peritoneal or lymph node TB. Therapeutic surgery is the treatment of choice in emergency for treating intestinal obstruction & peritonitis. Morbidity and mortality will be high in patients with late presentation and associated comorbidities. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: (1) To study various modes of presentation and management of Gastrointestinal Tuberculosis at emergency surgical care, in our hospital, its management and outcomes. (2) To evaluate the morbidity and mortality in acute presentations of Gastrointestinal tuberculosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS An Observational study of 40 patients admitted in the acute surgical care unit of Our Hospital, Hyderabad, presenting with acute abdomen who have been confirmed to have Gastrointestinal tuberculosis at laparotomy and on histopathology from Aug 2013 to Aug 2015. The patient was managed by laparotomy and procedure according to the mode of presentation. All the patients were given ATT post operatively. RESULTS Gastrointestinal tuberculosis is more common in 2 nd and 3 rd decade of life. Acute presentations were found to be more common in male. Intestinal obstruction is one of the commonest presentation of gastrointestinal tuberculosis presenting as surgical emergency and contributes significantly to high morbidity and mortality. Morbidity and mortality is less in the study due to early intervention and effective chemotherapy. CONCLUSION A high index of suspicion, proper evaluation and therapeutic trial in suspected patients is essential for an early diagnosis and timely definitive treatment, in order to decrease the morbidity and mortality associated with this disease.