(University of Dar es Salaam, 2000) Mchembe, Mabula D. P. M.
Material and methods: All patients undergoing elective and emergency abdominal surgery in surgical wards at Muhimbili Medical Centre, with either biliary, gastric, duodenal, intestinal, peritoneal and other intra-abdominal surgical conditions, between February 1999 and November 1999, were prospectively randomised to one of the following groups: group I: those in whom the nasogastric tube was retained after surgery (controls); group II: those in whom the nasogastric tube was removed three to six hours postoperatively. The patients were monitored for the time of resumption of bowel movement, abdominal distension and vomiting, anastomotic leakage, wound infection, wound dehiscence, pneumonia, atelectasis, discomfort, length of hospital stay and deaths. Exclusion criteria included those who had oesophagostomy and those who were unconscious at the time of admission. Bowel movement was considered active when the patient passed flatus/stool or both and had no abdominal distension or vomiting. These were the indications to stop intravenous fluids, start ambulation and