Incidence of ear, nose and throat disorders in children: a study in a teaching hospital in Telangana

Abstract

<p class="abstract"><strong>Background:</strong> ENT problems are very common among the children, especially diseases such as acute suppurative otitis media, acute tonsillitis, acute epiglottis, laryngotracheobronchitis, and rhinitis etc. Poor hygienic conditions, malnourishment, different socio-economic levels are also said to play a role in the prevalence of ENT disorders.</p><p class="abstract"><strong>Methods:</strong> 417 children between the ages of 0-15, attending the ENT department in our hospital were included in the study. General demographic details such as age, sex, socio-economic status, clinical history, and examination for common ENT complaints and disorders was taken for all patients. Otoscopy for ear examination for diseases such as otitis media, ear perforation and ear discharge anterior rhinoscopy for nasal discharge, airway obstruction and infection were performed Presence of any adenoid hypertrophy was looked for. Throat examination was performed for any sign of tonsillitis or pharyngitis. Appropriate investigations such as X-rays, culture and sensitivity, etc were performed where necessary.  </p><p class="abstract"><strong>Results:</strong> 258 (61.9%) patients were females while there were 159 (38.1%) males. More than 45% cases who had disorders were concentrated in the 6-15 years age group. Almost 75% of the children were from lower socio-economic status. Otitis media among the ear diseases, rhinitis in the nasal diseases and pharyngitis followed by tonsillitis in the diseases of the throat was found to be the most common.</p><strong>Conclusions:</strong> Our study provides basic information of the prevalent disorders in ENT in our area, based on which we can take the relevant step towards development of the medical setup and treatment.