Epidemiology of Typhoid Intestinal Perforation and Surgical Management at Federal Teaching Hospital, Gombe State, North East Nigeria

Typhoid intestinal perforation remains a preventable yet frequently fatal surgical emergency in Nigeria, particularly in North East states where inadequate water sanitation and limited vaccine coverage sustain high Salmonella typhi transmission rates. This study examines the epidemiology, surgical management approaches, and outcomes of typhoid intestinal perforation at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Gombe. A retrospective descriptive design is applied to records of patients managed for confirmed typhoid perforation between 2018 and 2023. Data extracted include patient age, sex, duration of illness before perforation, number and site of perforations, preoperative haemoglobin and white cell count, operative technique used, and postoperative outcomes including wound infection, anastomotic leakage, and 30-day mortality. Descriptive statistics are computed in SPSS. Regional surgical literature from North East Nigeria identifies young males aged 10 to 30 years as the most frequently affected demographic, with mortality rates between 15 and 30 percent driven by late presentation and postoperative sepsis. The Hinchey classification is applied as a severity reference. Findings will guide the surgical unit in standardising perioperative protocols and the hospital administration on advocating for typhoid vaccination campaigns targeting high-risk communities. Keywords: typhoid perforation, surgical management, Gombe State, North East Nigeria, Salmonella typhi.