Muhammad Saddique, Syed Abdullah Iqbal.
Pattern of abscesses at Civil hospital, Karachi.
Pak J Surg Jan ;21(1):15-8.

Objective: To study the pattern of abscesses at Civil Hospital, Karachi. Design & Duration: Descriptive study from March 2003 to August 2004. Setting: Emergency Operation Theatre, Civil Hospital, Karachi. Methodology: The data of all patients who presented with abscesses was collected and analyzed. Results: Out of 537 patients who underwent drainage of abscesses, 327 were males and 210 females, with a male to female ratio of 1.56:1. Their ages ranged from 1 to 80 years with a mean age of 33.08 years. Diabetes mellitus was found in 75(13.96%) patients with a male to female ratio of 2.57:1. The most common site of abscess was the hand (17.31%) followed by breast (16.38%), anorectal region (13.96%) and foot (12.84%). The common presenting complaints were pain, swelling and fever. All were treated by drainage with satisfactory outcome. Conclusion: Abscesses are the 2nd most common cause of emergency surgery at Civil Hospital, Karachi, the commonest cause being appendicitis.

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