Abstract:

OBJECTIVE: In the treatment of childhood intussusception, in addition to the commonly adopted open surgery, different treatment methods are used in selected cases. One of these treatment is ultrasonography (USG)-guided hydrostatic reduction with normal saline. In this study, the treatment cost of open surgery and USG-guided hydrostatic reduction was compared. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The medical records of 48 cases treated in our clinic after the diagnosis of intussusception between January 2011 and June 2017 were reviewed retrospectively. The age, gender, length of hospital stay, treatment modality, and the cost of the treatment of the cases were evaluated. RESULTS: Of the 48 cases, 31 were male and 17 were female, with a mean age of 48 months. Open surgery was performed in 30 cases, and USG-guided hydrostatic reduction with normal saline was performed in 18 cases. The mean length of hospital stay and the cost of treatment were 5.13 days and 1,094.60 TL, respectively for the open surgery cases, and 2.6 days and 841.30 TL for those that underwent USG-guided hydrostatic reduction. When the two treatment methods were compared, a statistically significant difference was found in terms of the cost of treatment (p < 0.05) and the duration of hospitalization (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: USG-guided hydrostatic reduction with normal saline is known as a simple, effective, and reliable method with a low complication rate. In this study, it was determined that the cost of treatment was low; thus, it is also an economical treatment option. Therefore, it should be considered as the first treatment modality in all cases of childhood intussusception presenting without bad general condition or signs of peritonitis

Keywords: