DOI: https://doi.org/10.36347/sjams.2026.v14i02.026

Pages: 298-302

Introduction: Post-operative complications are a major public health problem that can compromise the success of surgery by extending the duration of hospitalization and therefore increase the cost of care and the postoperative morbidity and mortality rate. Objective: To evaluate the management of post-operative complications in an intensive care unit (ICU) in Senegal. Methodology: We conducted a retrospective, descriptive and analytical study over a period of 24 months (January 1st, 2022 to December 31th, 2023). We included all patients aged at least 15 years who had been operated and secondarily transferred to ICU for post-operative monitoring or following the management of perioperative complications. Results: The frequency of post-operative complications was 15.5%. The average age was 46.7 years with extremes of 16 and 103 years. The sex ratio was 0.38. A medical history and a pathology were found in 28.7% and 31.6% respectively. Etiologies were dominated by obstetric emergencies in 34.6% including pre-eclampsia and its complications in 16.8%, postpartum hemorrhages in shock in 14.8% and abdominal emergencies in 30.7% including peritonitis in 15.8%. Surgery was urgent in 64.4%. Classes ASA 2u and Altemeier 4 were predominant with 41.6% and 41.5% respectively. Preoperative preparation was performed in 16.8%. General anesthesia was performed in 83.2%. Post-operative complications were infectious in 21.4%, cardiovascular in 19.3% and renal in 17.2%. The management consisted of vascular filling in 26.7%, oxygen therapy in 76%, catecholamines in 28.7%, blood transfusion in 31.6%, mechanical ventilation in 16.8%, heparinotherapy in 84.1% and antibiotic therapy in 55.4%. The duration of hospitalization ranged from 3 hours to 24 days. The evolution is encumbered by a mortality of 48.5%. Conclusion: The post-operative complications are frequent in intensive care unit. They are infectious, cardiovascular and renal in the majority of cases. Mortality remains very high. Th