ACUTE CHOLECYSTITIS AND PREGNANCY: PRESENTATION AND OUTCOME

Anjum Malik, MD; Saima Nazir, MD and Arshad Rashid, MS, FNB (MAS)*

ABSTRACT

Background: Acute cholecystitis is the commonest general surgical problem seen in pregnant females. Prompt evaluation and management is important to avert maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. The aims and objectives of this study were to study the presentation and management of acute cholecystitis in pregnancy. Methods: Ours was a prospective cohort study of 100 pregnant patients presenting with a non-obstetric surgical emergency over a period of 1 year in a tertiary care hospital of a developing area. Results: The mean age of the patients was 28.24 ± 3.16 years with most of them being in the age group of 25 - 30 years. Seventy-one (71%) patients hailed from the rural areas. Fifty-seven (57%) patients were primigravida. Majority of patients presented in the 2nd trimester [46 (46%) patients]. Ultrasonography was used as the diagnostic modality of choice in 99 (99%) patients. Acute cholecystitis was the commonest surgical emergency in our study group accounting for 32% of all the emergencies. All the patients were managed conservatively on intravenous antibiotics, analgesics and fluids. The mean hospital stay was 3.16 ± 1.27 days. None of the patients required surgical or any other intervention. Conclusion: Acute cholecystitis is a common surgical emergency encountered in the pregnant females but usually responds well to conservative therapy. Utmost cooperation between the surgeon and the obstetrician is imperative.

Keywords: Non-obstetric; Surgical; Pregnancy; Cholecystitis; Operative; Acute.