Pediatric otorhinolaryngology surgeries for foreign bodies: A retrospective observational study in Tamale Teaching Hospital.

Objective: This present study investigated the prevalence, characteristics, and management of ear, nose, and throat (ENT) foreign body (FB) in the pediatric population of Tamale.

Study design: Retrospective observational study for otorhinolaryngology surgeries from 2019 to 2022 for children aged 17 years and below at Tamale Teaching Hospital.

Methods: A checklist created was used to collect data from the Otorhinolaryngology Surgeries records from 2019 to 2022. Chi-square and binary logistics regression analysis were done for associations. The level of statistical significance was set at 0.05.

Results: Two hundred and sixty-three cases were included in this study, and the mean age of the study participants was (4.3 ± 3.8) years with a minimum age of 1 month and a maximum age of 17 years. Most (65.4%) of the study participants were under-5 years. The prevalence of FB in this study was 47.9%. The majority (54.8%) of the ENT FB incidence was through ingestion. Almost half (50.8%) of the ENT FB was removed through esophagoscopy. Among the foreign bodies, the coin was the most common (44.5%). Those less than 1 year were more likely to encounter FB than those 12 years and above (adust odds ratio [AOR] = 27.7, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 4.7-164.6). Again, those of 5 to less than 12 years were more likely to encounter ENT FB than those 12 years and above (AOR = 5.7, 95% CI = 1.2-26.3).

Conclusions: Foreign bodies are a common occurrence in pediatric otorhinolaryngology surgeries in Tamale Teaching Hospital. Younger children are more likely to report for otorhinolaryngology surgeries for FB in Tamale Teaching Hospital.