Paediatric Emergen cies in General Practice

Abstract

Summary:  An analysis of 1856 paediatric emergencies seen at a general practitioner's clinic in Enugu, Nigeria, during a one year period is presented. Accidental injuries, gastroenteritis and febrile convulsions were the commonest problems and were responsible for 25 per cent, 22.5 per cent and 20 per cent of all emergencies, respectively. Other common emergencies were acute respiratory infections which were diagnosed in 15 per cent of patients and poisoning which occurred in 10 per cent of cases. Mortality was highest among cases of neonatal tetanus followed by cases of febrile convulsions and gastroenteritis.  About 95 per cent of the emergencies were considered preventable. Most of the emergencies occurred in children under the age of 5 years, who also constitute a majority of the sick population in Nigeria. It is suggested that the health of the nation, including the prevention and care of emergencies, can best be improved by paying more attention to the health care of this age group.