Foreign bodies in the ear, nose and throat at the federal teaching hospital, Gombe-north-eastern, Nigeria

Foreign bodies (FBs) are common ENT emergencies all over the world. Children have been found to be commonly affected due to their curiosity and desire to explore their environment. Objective: To evaluate the clinical presentations, management and the outcomes of ear, nose and throat foreign bodies in a tertiary hospital setting. Method: This a three-year retrospective study of patients presented with foreign bodies to the ENT department. The demographic information, sites and sides of foreign bodies, nature of foreign bodies, management and outcomes were extracted from their records and analysed. Results: There were 34 (45.9%) males and 40 (54.1%) females with Male to Female ratio of 1: 1.8. Inanimate objects 60 (81%) were the common FBs aspirated, while 4 (5.4%) were animate FBs aspirated. In 28.4% of the patients presented to the hospital in the first three days of aspiration. The symptoms include sensation/ discomfort, accidental finding, Otalgia, ear discharge, bleeding among others. Lodgment is more common in the left nostril 9 (56.2%), throat 11 (55.0%) and right ear 19 (50.0%) among those with nasal, throat and ear foreign bodies respectively. The complications included infection, bleeding among others. Conclusion: FBs aspiration was found to be commoner among children than in adults due to the fact that children explore their environment

The role of anaesthetist in the management of patients due to insurgency in the North-eastern Nigeria.

The roles played by the team of Anaesthetists in the management of patients due to insurgency are enormous and very vital in the survival of the patients and indeed in the reduction of the possible morbidities and mortalities due to injuries from the insurgency. Objective: This study is aimed at giving an overview of the role of Anaesthetist in important areas of patient's management due to insurgency and to suggest ways of improvement. Method: This is a prospective study of 1,339 patients managed for various injuries sustained due to insurgency in the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria, for the period of five years (January, 2010 and December, 2014). Results: One thousand three and thirty nine (1,339) patients who were injured directly due to the insurgency were included in the study during the period under review. Their ages ranged from 1 month to 80 years with the mean age of 38.6±18.3 years. Most of the injuries occurred among the age group 18 - 35 years. Patients were resuscitated, had anaesthesia for surgeries and also had intensive care management. Conclusion: The roles played by the Anaesthetist are so vital in the survival of the patients due to insurgency. However, there is a need for an increase in the number of Anaesthesia manpower and for the training and re-training of these Anaesthetists in the management of mass casualties

Frontonasal dysplasia Sequence : A case report

Frontonasal dysplasia (FND) is a very rare congenital abnormality in which the mid face does not develop normally. It affects mainly the head and face. Cause is unknown but may be sporadic or familial. We report a rare case of a full term baby who presented with classical features of FND in Maiduguri, Nigeria. Management difficulty in resource limited setting is highlighted.Key words: Dysmorphism, Frontonasaldysplasia, Neonate

Tracheostomy in Northern Nigeria- A Multicentre Review

Background: Conventional surgical tracheostomy is an old technique of bypassing the upper airway that remains relevant even in the 21st century. Although many airway problems have been addressed in recent years via endotracheal intubation and endoscopically guided percutaneous tracheostomy, conventional surgical tracheostomy still remain the routine in our country for all airways that require surgical intervention. This study highlights the common indications and pattern of complications of tracheostomy in northern Nigeria.Methods: A 5 year retrospective review of tracheostomy in three tertiary hospitals in the north east, north central and north west zones of Northern Nigeria.Results: A total of 111 cases was analyzed, 79 (71.2%) males and 32 (28.8%) females with a m:f ratio of 2.5:1, age ranged between 2months to 75years, mean age of 29.4 and a std. deviation of 22.7. The commonest indication was head and neck tumors (37.8%) followed byairway foreign body (22.5%) and head and neck trauma (18.9%). Complication rate was 6.3% and mortality of 0.9%.Conclusion: Tracheostomy is a life surgical procedure that is not devoid of complications, however most of the complications can be avoided with meticulous technique, adequate and appropriate post operative care