Gunshot injury in children: A 3-year review of cases that presented to the Jos University Teaching Hospital, North Central Nigeria

OBJECTIVES: Gunshot injuries among children are a major clinical and public health concern and one of the leading causes of pediatric morbidity and mortality. This usually takes a great financial and emotional toll on the affected children, their families, and society as a whole. The objective of the study was to determine the pattern of injury, severity, outcome, and challenges in managing the gunshot injuries in children.MATERIAL AND METHODS: This is a descriptive study of patients below 18 years of age who presented with gunshot injuries to the Jos University Teaching Hospital between January 2011 and December 2014. Patient demographics and clinical details were collected on a trauma data sheet, and entered into an Excel spreadsheet. It was analyzed descriptively.RESULTS: Two hundred and forty-two patients presented with gunshot injuries in the period under review, of which 30 of them were children. The median age of the patients was 12 years with an interquartile range of 7.75 and 16.25. Twenty-two (73.3%) of them were male while 8 (26.7%) were female. High-velocity firearms accounted for 13 (43.3%) of the injuries and were the most predominant cause of injury. The most common part of the body involved was the extremities in 63.3% of patients. Debridement and secondary suturing was carried out in 83.3% of the patients while wound infection was the most noted complication in 33.3% of the patients. CONCLUSION:There is an increasing incidence of gunshot injuries in this region. A lot of the children survive and reach the hospital though, and most of them are treated and discharged, however, attendant emotional and psychological trauma cannot be excluded in these patients. There is, thus, a need for proper policy to protect and treat these children when this happens.

Fundus first laparoscopic cholecystectomy in patients with gall stone disease and the Fitz-Hugh-Curtis syndrome

Background: To present this experience using the fundus-first technique during laparoscopic cholecystectomy for the management of symptomatic gall stone disease with an intra-operative finding of Fitz-Hugh-Curtis syndrome.Methods: This is a prospective review of patients who had the fundus-first dissection during laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The study was carried out at the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH), and FOMAS hospital, both of which are tertiary hospitals located in Jos. Patients were recruited from January 2017 - January 2019. All patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy who had an intraoperative diagnosis of Fitz-Hugh-Curtis syndrome, and who had the fundus-first dissection, were included in the study. Patients who had fundus-first dissection for indications other than Fitz-Hugh-Curtis syndrome, were excluded from the study. Demographic and clinical information of patients included age, sex, duration of surgery, complications, and duration of hospital stay. Descriptive statistics were applied.Results: A total of 76 patients had elective laparoscopic cholecystectomies over the study period. Of that number, 17 (22.4%) patients had an intra- operative diagnosis of Fitz-Hugh-Curtis syndrome, and had the fundus-first dissection. The mean patient age was 46.3 years (SD = 11.7 years). All patients were female. The mean operating time was 70 minutes (SD = 23 minutes). The duration of hospital stay was 24 hours. There was one conversion due to uncontrollable intraoperative bleeding.Conclusions: This study revealed that the fundus-first dissection is suitable for removing the gall bladder during laparoscopic cholecystectomy in patients with gall stone disease, and an intraoperative finding of Fitz-Hugh-Curtis syndrome.