Where Is the Smartphone Leading the Health of Children?

Smartphones allow users to carry a mobile phone, games console, music player, camera, calendar, and Internet browser all in one small handheld device, with their limitations governed only by the types of applications downloaded onto them. They have become an indispensable part of the daily life. While smartphones have made life more convenient with their advantages, they have also brought many side effects especially on the health. This chapter crosses literature data on the side effects of smartphone in terms of health, especially in children. Nonetheless, it may affect people’s psychology, behavior, and health especially those of children. A mobile phone battery when heated explodes as a bomb. Awareness should be raised on the dangers of smartphones for children as telephone has become a real life partner in everything. Telephony companies as well as parents should join their effort, and measures should be taken to protect children and teenagers to ensure their welfare as they use smartphones. It is not enough to say that the humanity is in permanent danger. It is necessary to prioritize the protection of health while we rejoice in these technological advances

Fractures diaphysaires du femur chez les enfants de 0 a 6 ans au CHU Sylvanus Olympio de Lome (Togo)

Introduction: Les fractures diaphysaires du fémur (FDF) de l’enfant sont fréquentes. Pour les enfants de 0 à 6 ans, le traitement est souvent orthopédique, avec un bon pronostic. Le but de cette étude est de préciser les différents aspects des FDF chez les enfants de 0 à 6 ans au CHU Sylvanus Olympio (CHUSO) de Lomé.Matériel et méthodes: Etude descriptive transversale sur 10 ans (2001 à 2010), elle a inclus les enfants de 0 à 6 ans présentant une FDF non pathologique, traitée au CHU-SO. Les paramètres épidémiologiques, diagnostiques et thérapeutiques ont été étudiés.Résultats: En 10 ans, 218 enfants de 0 à 6 ans (138 garçons et 80 filles), d’âge moyen de 30 mois ont été traités pour FDF au CHU-SO de Lomé. Les étiologies étaient : chute lors d’un jeu (54,12%), accident de la voie publique (42, 21%), accident obstétrical (2,75%) et maltraitance (0,92%). La fracture siégeait dans 140 cas au 1/3 moyen, dans 48 cas au 1/3 supérieur et dans 30 cas au 1/3 inférieur. Vingt et quatre enfants ont été traités d’emblée par plâtre pelvipédieux alors que la traction collée suivie d’un plâtre pelvipédieux a été utilisée chez 194 enfants. Avec un recul moyen de 5 ans les résultats étaient excellents dans 142 cas et satisfaisants dans 76 cas.Conclusion: Les FDF chez les enfants de 0 à 6 ans sont essentiellement dues aux accidents de jeu et de la voie publique. Le traitement orthopédique, peu contraignant, donne constamment de bons résultats.Mots clés: Fracture, diaphyse fémorale, enfant, TogoEnglish Title: Fractures of femoral shaft in children under 6 years old at Sylvanus Olympio Teaching Hospital in Lomé (Togo)English AbstractIntroduction: The fractures of femoral shaft in children are frequents. For children under 6 years old, orthopedic treatment is always performed and gives good results. This study aims to specify the different aspects of theses fractures in children under 6 years old at Sylvanus Olympio teaching hospital in Lomé.Material and methods: It was descriptive and transversal study carried on a period of 10 years (from 2001 to 2010) which included children from 0 to 6 years, treated for non pathologic fractures of femoral shaft at Sylvanus Olympio teaching hospital in Lomé. The epidemiological, diagnostic and therapeutic parameters were studied.Results: During ten years, 218 children from 0 to 6 years (138 boys and 80 girls) with average age of 30 months were treated for fractures of femoral shaft. The causes were: game accident (54.12%), public way accidents (42.21%), obstetrical accident (2.75%) and a rough handling (0.92%). The fracture sited at superior third in 140 cases (64.22%), at middle third in 48 cases (22.02%) and at inferior third in 30 cases (13.76%). Twenty two children were immediately treated by cast and 194 were treated by cast after traction. With a mean follow up of 5 years, results were excellent in 142 cases and satisfying in 76 cases.Conclusion: fractures of femoral shaft are frequents in children under 6 years old at Sylvanus Olympio teaching hospital in Lomé. Game accident and public way accidents are frequent causes. Orthopedic treatment is not much restricting and still gives good results.Keywords: Fracture, femoral shaft, child, Tog

Elastic stable intramedullary nailing of femoral shaft fractures in children: Particularities and results at Sylvanus Olympio teaching hospital of Lomé, Togo

Introduction: The elastic stable intramedullary nailing (ESIN) presently seems the best technique in the surgical treatment of femoral shaft fractures (FSF) in >6-year-old children. We hereby report technical difficulties and therapeutic results after our first 8 years of experience. Patients and Methods: It′s a retrospective study over a period of 8 years from January 2005 to December 2012 in the Paediatric Surgery Department of Sylvanus Olympio Teaching Hospital of Lomé. Indications, technical particularities and results were studied. Results: There were 32 patients, 17 were boys and 15 were girls, with a mean age of 11 years old. The mean time to surgery was 21 days (range: 14 and 51 days). A callus was always removed before reduction. The osteosynthesis was stable in 22 cases, but in 10 others, it had been completed with a cast immobilisation. The operation needed a blood transfusion in 18 cases. With a mean follow-up of 3.5 years, the results were excellent in 29 patients (90.63%) and good in 3 patients (9.37%). Conclusion: Although undertaking an ESIN can be difficult, due to the lack of adequate equipment the procedure produces satisfactory outcome

Les fractures de l’extrémité proximale de l’humérus chez l’enfant au CHU Tokoin de Lomé

This retrospective study, carried on files of children treated between January 2005 and December 2009 from humerus upper end fractures (HUEF), aimed to specify the epidemiological, diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of these fractures in the Tokoin Teaching Hospital of Lome. Results: During 5 years, 10 children (6 girls and 4 boys) were treated from HUEF. The HUEF represented 9% of humerus fractures and 1.39% of children fractures. The HUEF were due 8 times to game and sport accidents, and 2 times to home accidents. The shoulder pain, present in all cases, was associated with functional disability, absolute in 8 cases, and relative in 2 cases. The fracture was associated with concussion in one case. The shoulder x-ray showed that the fracture was metaphyseal 6 times, and epiphyseal 4 times. In any case, orthopedic treatment led to very good results.Conclusion: Even though the orthopedic treatment leads to very good results in the majority of cases, an early treatment helped with image intensifier when required is the guarantee of satisfactory results.Keywords: Fractures, humerus, children, Togo.J. Rech. Sci. Univ. Lomé (Togo), 2012, Série D, 14(1) : 105-11

Treatment of long bone fractures in children by elastic stable intramedullary nailing: Outcome and challenges in a unit with restricted technical platform

Introduction: Elastic stable intramedullary nailing (ESIN), developed by the Nancy school in France, is the gold standard for surgical treatment of long bone fractures in children. In Africa, few works have been devoted specifically to this technique. Objective: This study aimed to describe the outcome and to present the challenges with this technique in the treatment of long bone fractures in children. Patients and Methods: This was a prospective and descriptive study over 4 years including patients aged 0–15 years old operated using ESIN. Results: Sixty-two patients underwent ESIN, of whom 44 patients (70.96%) were for femur fractures, nine patients (14.52%) for tibia and fibula fractures and nine patients (14.52%) for humerus fractures. The majority of the patients treated with ESIN were children older than 6 years. Nine patients (14.51%) and 13 patients (20.98%) underwent ESIN following polytrauma and multiple fractures, respectively. Seven patients (11.29%) were operated on through-closed ESIN method. The unavailability of image intensifier (38.71%) and the presence of bone callus (40.32%) were the major reasons for using the open ESIN method. Thirty-three patients (53.23%) had minor or major complications. The majority of patients had satisfactory therapeutic outcomes. Conclusion: ESIN gives good results, even when the fracture site is approached