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A 5 year review of childhood measles at the Niger Delta Univ | 16965
International Research Journals

A 5 year review of childhood measles at the Niger Delta University Teaching Hospital, Bayelsa state, Nigeria

Abstract

Chika O. Duru, Oliemen Peterside and Oyedeji O. Adeyemi

Measles control is yet to be achieved in Nigeria de spite global efforts geared towards measles elimination. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and describe the pattern of childhood measles among children presenting to the Niger Delta University Teaching Hospital (NDUTH), Okolobri, Bayelsa State. Case notes of chi ldren with measles seen at the NDUTH over a five year period (1 st September 2008 to 31 st August 2013) were retrospectively reviewed. A hund red and seventeen (117) cases of measles were seen at t he NDUTH. Measles constituted 2.0% of the total paediatric admissions and the peak age of pre sentation was in infancy (41.0%). Twenty-seven (23.1%) of the children were less than 9 months old . Majority (81.2%) had not received prior measles vaccine with a major reason given for failure to re ceive the vaccine being that the child was not up to the age for immunization. Complications occurred more in the malnourished and the un- vaccinated children. Of the 76 children who were ad mitted, there was a case fatality rate of 3.9%. Mortality was associated with bronchopneumonia, lac k of vaccination and age under 2 years. Measles remains a burden in our environment, affect ing mostly infants and the unimmunized.

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