Shaila Ali
The Children’s Hospital & the Institute of Child Health Lahore, Pakistan
Title: Spectrum of acute flaccid paralysis in children
Biography
Biography: Shaila Ali
Abstract
Introduction: Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP) is a clinical syndrome characterized by rapid onset of weakness in a child aged less than 15 years due to any cause or any paralytic illness in a person of any age when polio is suspected. Exact cause of AFP with its incidence is needed for proper management.
Objective: To determine the spectrum of AFP cases in children.
Study Design: It is a retrospective, observational study.
Place & Duration of Study: Department of Neurology, Children Hospital & the Institute of Child Health, Lahore form January 2017 to October 2017.
Methods: Retrospectively, we extracted the data from multi centers of notified AFP cases. Causes of AFP were sorted out with their frequencies.
Results: Out of 376 cases of AFP, there was male predominance 59.57% (n=224) with male to female ratio 1.5:1 (age ranged 11-18 years). Highest number of patients falls in other categories (23.9%) including neuropathy, myopathy, spinal muscular atrophy, sepsis and TB spine, followed by GBS (18.88%), TN (12.76%), hypokalemic hypotonia (9.30%) and CNS infection (3.45%). Minor illnesses includes spinal muscular atrophy, cerebral palsy, cellulitis (0.53%) and rickets (0.26%),Wild polio cases declined because of intensive oral polio vaccine immunization and were found to be 1.59% (n=6) in 6 districts of Punjab having 4 cases in west and each in north and south region.
Conclusion: Non polio cases of AFP are more than polio. For global eradication of Poliovirus (PV), Pakistan should remain vigilant for effective surveillance of polio and non-polio cases.