Table of Contents
DECLARATION ......................................................................................................................iv
APPROVAL ..............................................................................................................................v
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT........................................................................................................vi
LIST OF FIGURES .................................................................................................................vii
LIST OF TABLES................................................................................................................. viii
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS...................................................................................................ix
OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS..............................................................................................x
ABSTRACT..............................................................................................................................xi
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION........................................................................................1
1.0. BACKGROUND ............................................................................................................1
1.1. PROBLEM STATEMENT.................................................................................................2
1.2. STUDY OBJECTIVES...................................................................................................3
1.2.1. MAIN OBJECTIVE....................................................................................................3
1.2.2. SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES ...........................................................................................3
1.3. RESEARCH QUESTIONS ............................................................................................3
1.4. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY................................................................................3
1.5. STUDY SCOPE..............................................................................................................4
1.5.1. GEOGRAPHICAL SCOPE ........................................................................................4
1.5.2. CONTENT SCOPE.....................................................................................................4
1.5.3. TIME SCOPE..............................................................................................................4
1.6. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK...................................................................................4
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW............................................................................6
2.0. INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................6
2.1. NUTRITIONAL STATUS AND POSTOPERATIVE RECOVERY ................................6
2.2. UNDERLYING MEDICAL CONDITIONS AND POSTOPERATIVE RECOVERY 7
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2.3. SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS AND POSTOPERATIVE RECOVERY......................8
CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY ................................................................................10
3.0. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................10
3.1. STUDY DESIGN..............................................................................................................10
3.2. STUDY AREA .................................................................................................................10
3.3. STUDY POPULATION...................................................................................................10
3.4. SELECTION CRITERIA .................................................................................................10
3.4.1. INCLUSION CRITERIA...............................................................................................10
3.4.2. EXCLUSION CRITERIA.........................................................................................10
3.5. SAMPLE SIZE DETERMINATION ...........................................................................10
3.6. SAMPLING PROCEDURES .......................................................................................10
3.7. DATA COLLECTION METHODS AND MANAGEMENT .....................................10
3.8. DATA ANALYSIS.......................................................................................................11
3.9. QUALITY CONTROL.................................................................................................11
3.10. ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS ..............................................................................11
3.11. LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY............................................................................11
CHAPTER FOUR: STUDY FINDINGS.................................................................................12
4.0. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................12
4.1. SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF RESPONDENTS ........................12
4.1.1. RESPONDENTS’ PERSONAL INFORMATION (N=384) ........................................12
4.1.2. RESPONDENTS’ SOCIAL STATUS INDICATORS (N=384) ..................................13
4.2. AVERAGE POSTOPERATIVE DURATION OF STAY & POSTOP RECOVERY ....13
4.2.1. NUTRITIONAL STATUS & DELAYED POSTOP RECOVERY/PROLONGED
HOSPITAL STAY (N=29)......................................................................................................14
4.2.2. COMORBID CONDITIONS & DELAYED POSTOP RECOVERY/ PROLONGED
HOSPITAL STAY (N=29)......................................................................................................15
4.2.3. SOCIAL STATUS & DELAYED POSTOP RECOVERY/PROLONGED HOSPITAL
STAY (N=29) ..........................................................................................................................16
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CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE
STUDY. ...................................................................................................................................16
5.0. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................16
5.1. DISCUSSION OF THE STUDY FINDINGS ..................................................................16
5.2. CONCLUSIONS...............................................................................................................17
5.3. RECOMMENDATIONS..................................................................................................17
5.3.1. To The Surgical Patients of FPRRH..............................................................................17
5.3.2. To Management of FPPRH............................................................................................18
5.3.3. To The Government of Uganda through the Relevant Ministries .................................18
REFERENCES ........................................................................................................................18
APPENDICES .........................................................................................................................23
Appendix 1: Consent Form..................................................................................................23
Appendix 2: Research Instrument (English Version)..........................................................25
Appendix 4: Translated Questionnaire and Consent Form..................................................28
ABSTRACT
Throughout the world millions of patients undergo surgery each year, the burden of surgical disease being greatest in Africa, where operations could save many lives. An extensive range of procedures are available to treat patients who require surgical intervention. A crucial part of the patient’s experience, irrespective of the type of procedure, is postoperative recovery. Given the importance of the postop period, and the number of factors that may affect postop recovery involved, this study was about the factors affecting post-operative recovery at Fort Portal Regional Referral Hospital (FPRRH). A cross sectional descriptive study design that involved 384 post-surgical patients at FPRRH was used whereby the incidence of delayed postop recovery/prolonged postop hospital stay was about 8% with (overweight, underweight or obese), comorbidities, older age (> 60 years) and low socioeconomic standing all significantly associated with delayed postop recovery and a prolonged postop hospital stay.