Pattern and Trends of Respiratory Disease Admissions at the Emergency Paediatrics Unit of Jos University Teaching Hospital – A Four Year Review

Aims: Respiratory diseases contributes substantially to the number of Paediatric admissions and deaths especially in low income countries. Understanding the trends will help in health planning and resource distribution. This study is to describe the pattern and trend of respiratory diseases in children in a tertiary healthcare facility in north-central Nigeria. Study Design: This study was a retrospective study including all patients admitted and managed with respiratory diseases. The relevant clinical information was extracted from the hospital records. Place and Duration of Study: The Emergency Paediatric Unit (EPU) of the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH), Jos Nigeria, between January 2012 and December 2015. Methodology: A total of 2277 children aged 6 weeks-18 years were admitted into the unit within the study period. Out of these, 498 (21.9%) were diagnosed with respiratory disease. Clinical records were retrieved and reviewed. Those with inconclusive diagnosis as well as those with associated co-morbidities such as cardiac anomalies were excluded. The data collected were entered and analyzed using Epi Info version 7.2. Student t-test and chi-square test were used to analyze categorical and continuous variables respectively. Results: Pneumonia accounted for 54.4% of total respiratory diseases. Cases of Pneumonia were mostly seen at the peak of the rainy and the harmattan seasons. (March, June/July and October/November). The highest number of cases of respiratory diseases were in the under-fives. The commonest complication was congestive cardiac failure and it was commoner in the younger age group. Conclusion: The prevalence of respiratory diseases remains high and contributes significantly to hospital admissions especially in the under five children. There is need to introduce new vaccines and re-enforce existing immunization against common organisms that cause pneumonia in children. There is also need to introduce policies that would ensure appropriate treatment for children to reduce the burden of these diseases

Multiple nasal polyps in an 11 year old asthmatic child: A case report

Childhood asthma is a common chronic respiratory disease; it may be associated with other co-morbidities which may influence its severity. Among these is chronic rhino sinusitis, conjunctivitis, or gastroesophageal reflux disease. However, nasal polyps are rare in asthmatic children, being more common in those more than 20 years. Its exact cause is not completely understood and it has been associated with sensitivity to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. In this communication we report a case of a 11-year-old boy with multiple nasal polyps and difficult to manage asthma

Factors that contribute to prolonged hospital stay after discharge among surgical patients in a tertiary hospital in North Central Nigeria : Factors contributing to prolonged hospital stay after discharge

Background: Surgical practice has hospitalization of patients for surgery and treatment as an inherent part of it; after which the patients are found fit for discharge. There is however a group of patients who remain on bed even after they have been deemed fit for discharge. This study aimed to determine the number of days surgical patients classified as having prolonged stay remain in hospital after they were deemed fit for discharge and identify the reasons for this. Methods: Surgical patients still on bed more than 48 hours after they were discharged who consented to participate in the study were recruited. Results: A total of 341 patients were recruited. The mean duration of stay after discharge was 17.6± 13 days. The specialty with the highest number of patients was Neurosurgery. Lack of finance and absence of a caregiver were the causes (96.5% and 3.5% respectively). The top three suggestions by patients on how to reduce prolonged hospital stay were bill waiver for indigent patients, reduced cost of health care services and financial aid by philanthropists. Conclusion: The mean number of days patient remained in hospital after discharge was 17.6 days. Financial reasons and absence of a caregiver are the major reasons for prolonged hospital stay. There is a need for a multi-sectoral approach to improve enrollment in the National Health Insurance Scheme and provide social support for patients in need of care post-discharge to reduce the adverse effects of prolonged hospital stay on the hospital and patients

Paediatric jaw tumours: experiences and findings from a resource limited tertiary health care center

Introduction: primary maxillofacial tumors are uncommon in pediatric patients. When they do occur, the tissue damage caused directly alters facial growth, development as well as psycho-social evolution. This study was carried out to determine the pattern, sociodemographic characteristics and histologic peculiarities of paediatric jaw tumors in our environment. Methods: a retrospective hospital-based study where the case notes of children below the age of 14 years who presented with jaw tumors and tumor-like lesions from January 2014 to December 2018 were studied. Results: eighty-two patients were studied; patients aged 10-14 years had the highest representation. Mean time of presentation was 8 months with jaw swelling being the commonest presentation (84.1%). Majority of the fathers were in their 4th decade of life while most of the mothers were in their third decade of life and both parents possessed primary school certificate as their highest level of educational attainment. Fathers were mostly traders, while mothers were mostly full-time housewives. The maxilla and mandible were most commonly affected with the left side showing higher preponderance. Burkitt lymphoma (19 (23.2%)) and adenomatoid odontogenic tumor (14 (17.1%)) were the commonest lesions. When the tumor involved both the maxilla and the mandible, the tumor was most likely malignant. Conclusion: in our center, paediatric jaw tumors are commonest in male children with the 10-14 years´ age group most commonly affected. Burkitt lymphoma and adenomatoid odontogenic tumors were the commonest tumors. Early presentation must be encouraged since these tumors if presented early can be successfully treated

Poland syndrome a rare congenital anomaly

Poland syndrome is a rare congenital anomaly classically consisting of unilateral hypoplasia of the sternocostal head of the pectoralis major muscle and ipsilateral brachysyndactyly. It was first described by Alfred Poland in 1840 and may occur with different gravity. Our patient is an eight-year-old Nigerian girl with left-sided anterior chest wall defect with no detectable structural heart abnormality but presented with repeated episodes of syncopal attacks following minor trauma to the anterior chest wall