Causes of acute peritonitis in 1188 consecutive adult patients in Ghana.

In a five-year prospective study, 1188 consecutive adult patients were admitted and treated for acute generalized peritonitis at the Surgical Emergency Unit of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Kumasi, Ghana. Appendicitis and typhoid ileal perforation were the commonest causes, occurring in 43.1% and 35.1% of patients, respectively. Other conditions (gastroduodenal perforations, ruptured abscesses, traumatic bowel perforations and amoebic colonic perforations) accounted for fewer than 25% of cases.