Chinda J Y, Abubakar A M, Umaru Habila, Tahir Chubado, Adamu S, Wabada S
Department of Surgery, Paediatric Surgical Unit, University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, Borno State, Nigeria.
Afr J Paediatr Surg. 2013 Oct-Dec;10(4):358-61. doi: 10.4103/0189-6725.125448.
Paediatric head injury (HI) is the single most common cause of death and permanent disability in children world over, and this is increasingly becoming worrisome in our society because of increased risks and proneness to road traffic accidents on our highways and streets. The study set to determine causes and management of HI among children in our society.
A retrospective review of all children aged 0-15 years with traumatic head injury (THIs) who were managed at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital between July, 2006 and August, 2008.
A total of 45 children with THIs presented to the casualty unit of the hospital; 30 (66.7%) were boys and 15 (33.3%) were girls. Three (6.7%) children were less than 1 year of age, 21 (46.7%) were between 1 years and 6 years while 16 (35.6%) and 5 (11.0%) were aged 7-11 years and 12-15 years respectively. Thirty six (80.0%) of the children were pedestrians, 6 (13.4%) fell from a height, while 2 (4.4%) and 1 (2.2% were as a result of home accident and assault, respectively. Twenty one patients (46.7%) had mild HI, while 53.3% had moderate to severe category. Forty one (91.1%) of children were managed as in-patients, mostly (95.1%) by conservative non-operative management, while 4 (8.9%) were treated on the out-patient basis. The mortality rate was 17.8%.
H1 among children is of a great concern, because of its incremental magnitude, due to increasing child labour and interstate religious discipleship among children, with attendant high mortality and permanent disabilities. Necessary laws and legislations should be formulated and implemented with organized campaigns and public enlightenment to prevent and mitigate this menace.
小儿头部损伤（HI）是全球儿童死亡和永久性残疾的单一最常见原因，由于我国公路和街道上交通事故风险增加以及儿童更容易发生此类事故，这在我国社会日益令人担忧。本研究旨在确定我国社会中儿童HI的病因及治疗方法。
对2006年7月至2008年8月在迈杜古里大学教学医院接受治疗的所有0至15岁创伤性头部损伤（THIs）儿童进行回顾性研究。
共有45例THIs儿童到医院急诊室就诊；30例（66.7%）为男孩，15例（33.3%）为女孩。3例（6.7%）儿童年龄小于1岁，21例（46.7%）年龄在1至6岁之间，16例（35.6%）和5例（11.0%）分别为7至11岁和12至15岁。36例（80.0%）儿童为行人，6例（13.4%）从高处坠落，2例（4.4%）和1例（2.2%）分别因家庭事故和袭击导致受伤。21例患者（46.7%）为轻度HI，而53.3%为中度至重度。41例（91.1%）儿童作为住院患者接受治疗，大多数（95.1%）采用保守非手术治疗，4例（8.9%）在门诊治疗。死亡率为17.8%。
儿童HI令人高度关注，因其规模不断扩大，原因是童工现象增加以及儿童跨州宗教门徒身份问题，随之而来的是高死亡率和永久性残疾。应制定并实施必要的法律法规，并开展有组织的宣传活动和公众教育，以预防和减轻这一威胁。
