Citation

Adeyemo WL, Fajolu IB, Temiye EO, Adeyemi MO, Adepoju AA. Int. J. Pediatr. Otorhinolaryngol. 2011; 75(5): 670-672.

Affiliation

Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Dental Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2011, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.ijporl.2011.02.006

PMID

21376402

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence and pattern of presentation of orofacial and dental injuries in children with seizures at the Children's Emergency Unit of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Lagos, Nigeria. METHODS: This was a prospective study of children with febrile or non-febrile convulsion who presented at the Children's Emergency Unit of LUTH between July 2008 and August 2009. The age, gender, type of convulsion and the presence/absence of orofacial and other bodily injuries were recorded in a proforma. Mechanism, type and classification of injury were recorded for patients with orofacial injuries. RESULTS: A total of 257 children (148 males and 109 females) with febrile/non-febrile convulsion were included in the analysis. The mean age (SD) of patients was 32.8±40.5 months. There were 223 (86.8%) cases of febrile convulsion and 34 (13.3%) cases of non-febrile convulsion. Thirteen children sustained orofacial injuries giving a prevalence of 5.1%. There was no significant difference in the prevalence of orofacial injury between patients with febrile convulsion (4.5%) and those with non-febrile convulsion (8.8%) (P=0.282). The most common cause of orofacial injuries was forceful insertion of hard object into the mouth during convulsive episodes. Twelve (92.3%) patients sustained soft tissue injury, while one sustained both soft and hard tissue injuries. The most common site of injury was the lip. CONCLUSIONS: Oro-facial and dental injuries may occur in children with seizures. It is therefore important that these injuries be looked for by the paediatrician and the dentist/oral and maxillofacial surgeons should be involved in managing these children.

Language: en