BACKGROUND: Peptic ulcer perforation is one of the two major acute complications of peptic ulcer disease with significant morbidity and mortality.

METHODS: Institution based retrospective review was done to determine patient presentation, management and postoperative complications of perforated peptic ulcer disease (PPUD) at a tertiary hospital in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Patients operated on from January 2013 to December 2017 were included. Univalent analysis was used to determine the influence of patient and operative events on postoperative outcomes.

RESULT: Totally, 136 patients were studied. Males outnumbered females by a ratio of 5.5:1. The mean age of patients was 36.05±16.56 years. Seventy-one (52.2%) patients presented after twenty-four hours of onset of symptoms. Most perforations were located on the first part of the duodenum (117,86%). There were 73 postoperative complications recorded in 31(22.8%) patients. Old age, being female, presence of comorbidity, hypotension, tachycardia, and delayed presentation were significantly associated with postoperative morbidity (P<0.05). Nine (6.6%) patients died at the hospital. Mortality was significantly associated with old age, comorbid illness, tachycardia, and development of post-operative complications (P<0.05). The postoperative hospital stay of the patients with complications was 18.6 ± 14.7 days which was significantly higher than that of patients without complication 6.7±2.7days (P=0.001).

CONCLUSION: Old age, being female, presence of comorbidity, hypotension, tachycardia, and delayed presentation were significantly associated with postoperative morbidity. Old age, comorbid illness, tachycardia and development of post-operative complications were found to increase the risk of mortality.