ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Ear related diseases are commonly seen in clinics worldwide especially among children. They are associated with significant morbidity and frequent hospital visits. Limited data exists regarding the burden of ear disease among Nigerian children. OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of ear-related problems among children presenting at the Paediatric and Otorhinolaryngology clinics of the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study conducted at the Paediatric and Otorhinolaryngology Clinics of the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital Enugu. All children aged 0 and 17 years presenting between 1(st) June and 31(st) August 2006 with ear-related problems were enrolled consecutively into the study. Data analysis was by SPSS version 11. RESULTS: Three thousand and twenty-one children were seen during the study period. Out of these, 248 children (8.2%) presented with ear-related problems. Chronic otitis media (30.5%), acute otitis media (29.9%), cerumen auris (11.3%), otitis externa (10.1%), hearing impairment (7.3%) and foreign body in the ear (5.7%) were the most commonly diagnosed ear-related problems. CONCLUSION: Ear-related problems among children presenting at the UNTH Enugu were not uncommon. However, otitis media was the most commonly diagnosed ailment affecting the ears in children.
Subject(s)
Ambulatory Care Facilities/statistics & numerical data , Ear Diseases/diagnosis , Ear Diseases/therapy , Otolaryngology/methods , Age Distribution , Child , Child, Preschool , Cross-Sectional Studies , Developing Countries , Ear Diseases/epidemiology , Female , Hospitals, Teaching , Humans , Incidence , Infant , Male , Nigeria , Risk Assessment , Severity of Illness Index , Sex Distribution , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Hepatitis B virus) infection is contracted through contact with body fluid of infected persons. Patients with sickle cell anaemia (SCA), a common haematological disorder in Nigeria, have tendencies to visit traditional healers who administer scarifications and ritual marks that may expose them to HBV infection. OBJECTIVE: To determine the demographic and socio-cultural characteristics of children with SCA infected with HBV at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital Enugu. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: Two hundred and twenty one children aged 6 months to 17 years with SCA were recruited consecutively from October 2004 to April 2005. They were screened for HBsAg using ELISA method. RESULTS: There was no statistically difference in hepatitis B surface antigenaemia among different age group (P = 0.907). Social class did not significantly influence the prevalence of HBsAg among subjects (p = 0.887). Socio-cultural practices like circumcision and scarification did not influence the prevalence of HBsAg, (p = 0.636) (p = 0.771) respectively. Significantly higher number of people from lowest socioeconomic class practice scarification (p = 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Demographic and sociocultural factors do not appear to influence the prevalence of HBsAg among children with SCA in Enugu, Nigeria.