Acute Abdomen in Pediatric Patients With Lassa Fever: Prevalence and Response to Nonoperative Management

Abstract

Few reports on the prevalence of acute abdomen (AAbd) in pediatric patients with Lassa fever (LF) are available, and no firm policy on its management exists. Here, we report on its prevalence in and the response to treatment among a cohort of children with confirmed LF. Six (10.3%) of 58 children with LF had AAbd, whereas 6 (2.8%) of 215 children with AAbd had LF. Nonoperative treatment was successful in 5 of the 6 children with both AAbd and LF. We conclude that AAbd is not uncommon in pediatric patients with LF, and it could be responsive to nonoperative treatment. Testing for LF in all children with febrile AAbd might be justified in areas in which LF is endemic.

Keywords: Lassa fever; acute abdomen; children; comorbidity; conservative treatment.