Methods: A retrospective review of mortality among children hospitalized in the EW was conducted from January 2015 through May 2017. Information on their age, sex, weight, diagnosis, and mortality was recorded. The data were expressed in frequencies, and logistic regressions were performed with mortality as the dependent variable. Results:The median age of the 1,020 children hospitalized in the EW was 1.0 year (interquartile range, 0.6-4.0) with death recorded in 60 children, a 5.9% mortality rate. Mortality was higher in the children younger than 2 years, boys, and those with infectious diseases. Of the 60 dead children, infectious diseases were the leading cause of mortality (53 [88.3%]) with sepsis ( 22[36.7%]), gastroenteritis (10 [16.7%]), and meningitis (6 [10.0%]), accounting for the highest contributors to mortality. The highest case fatality rates were noted in tetanus (1/1 [100%]), human immunodeficiency virus (5/14 [35.7%]), and tuberculosis (2/7 [28.6%]). The logistic regression showed that age of 13-16 years (adjusted odds ratio, 4.59; 95% confidence interval, 1.80-11.20; compared with age < 2 years) and presence of infectious diseases (4.65; 1.80-12.10) significantly increased the risk of mortality. Conclusion:The mortality rate in our EW during the study period was 5.9%. Infectious diseases remained significant contributors to mortality in our practice. Greater efforts at prevention and control of the diseases are required to correct this negative trend.

Introduction: Pneumonia is the leading cause of death among children, it accounts for 17.0% of under- five deaths in Nigeria yearly. The aim of this study is to determine the pattern of pneumonia among children in Port Harcourt. Materials and Methods: A 2year retrospective descriptive study was done; the admission and discharge records at the children emergency ward (CHEW) and folders of patients admitted for pneumonia were used to retrieve information. Results: A total of 2169 children were admitted into CHEW from 2017- 2018, this comprised of 1089 (50.2%) males and 1080 (49.8%) females. Of the 2169 children, 286 (13.2%) of them had pneumonia. More males (16.9%) compared to females (9.4%) had pneumonia, with a significant gender difference. (ꭓ2 = 26.29, p = < 0.001) Males were twice more likely to have pneumonia compared to the females (OR = 1.95, CI= 1.51-2.54). The highest prevalence of Pneumonia (27.1%) was amongst children < 1 year old (P = <0.001). Thirteen (4.6%) of those that had pneumonia died.  Mortality was highest (9.2%) among those who presented late (> 5 days after onset of symptoms.) (ꭓ2 =10.73, p = 0.03). Conclusion: Childhood pneumonia is still a burden among children in Port Harcourt. Early presentation to the hospital may reduce the mortality.

Background: Unindentified and untreated mucocutaneous disorders can lead to adverse consequences among HIV-infected children. These include physical discomfort, disfigurement , loss of school attendance, social stigma , low self esteem and depression Aim: To determine the predictors of mucocutaneous disorders in HIV-infected children receiving care in two tertiary hospitals in Port Harcourt, Southern Nigeria. Place and Duration of Study: the study was conducted over a six month period at the Pediatric infectious diseases clinic of the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH) and Rivers State University Teaching Hospital (RSUTH) Port Harcourt. Materials and Methods: It was a cross sectional study involving 372 HIV-infected children. Study participants were recruited by simple random sampling. Diagnosis of mucocutaneous disorders was based on clinical findings and relevant laboratory investigations. Results: The prevalence of mucocutaneous disorders in the study subjects was 30.1% with Pruritic Papular Eruptions as the most occurring lesion. Factors predictive of the occurrence of mucocutaneous disorders in HIV-Infected-subjects included: low socio-economic status (p-value=0.048;AOR=1.81, 95% CI=1.01-3.24), sub-optimal adherence to HAART (p-value=0.008; AOR=2.72,95% CI=1.29-5.73), WHO clinical stages 3 and 4 (p-value=0.043;AOR=2.48,95% CI=1.03-5.97) and non viral suppression (p-value=0.0001; AOR=15.78, 95% CI=8.52-29.25). Conclusion: The presence of these factors in a HIV-infected child indicates a need for prompt evaluation for mucocutaneous lesions so as to limit morbidity and mortality from these disorders.

Aims: To determine the bullying experience among secondary school students in Obio Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State, Nigeria. Study Design: A cross sectional study was conducted among 1860 participants aged 10-19 years. Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted in nine co-educational secondary schools in Obio Akpor Local Government Area (LGA) of Rivers State, Nigeria over a six month period (January 2021 – June 2021) Materials and Method: Bullying behavior was assessed using a questionnaire designed by the researchers. Descriptive and inferential statistics were carried out. Statistical significance was set at a p-value <0 .05. Results: The mean age of the study participants was 14.25±1.85 years and the male to female ratio was 1.1:1. Nearly all of the students (98.9%) had heard of bullying. Furthermore, 56.6% of participants were victims of bullying, 32.4% were perpetrators and 11.0% were neither victims nor perpetrators of bullying. The most common bullying behaviors known to the students were: physical assaults (19.6%) and “taking things forcefully from others” (19.3%). Factors significantly associated with both bullying victimization and perpetration included; age greater than 14 years, male gender and low socio-economic status (p<0.001). Furthermore, bullying perpetration was more common in senior school students (p<0.001) while a greater proportion of junior school students were victims of bullying (p<0.001). Conclusion: Bullying behavior remains a significant social problem among secondary school students in our society. It has deleterious physical and psychological effects on both the victim and the perpetrator. Greater efforts are required from all stakeholders to eliminate this negative trend.

Aims: To determine the prevalence and types of skin diseases seen among children attending the Children’s Outpatient Clinic of the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH). Study Design:  A descriptive Cross sectional study design was used. Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted in the Children’s Outpatient Clinic of the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital from June to August 2020 (3 months). Method: It involved 370 children aged less than 18 years.  A semi structured interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to obtain all relevant data. This was followed by dermatological examination of the children to make diagnosis of skin diseases. Laboratory confirmation was carried out where necessary. Results: The study participants consisted of 370 children aged 1 month to 17 years with a mean age of 8.4±5.9 years. The male to female ratio was 0.9:1 and the overall prevalence of skin diseases among the children studied was 23.7%. The three most common aetiologic categories of skin diseases seen were:  Infective (13.5%), Inflammatory (5.7%) and infestations (3.5%). The five most common skin diseases identified included: Impetigo (4.1%), Scabies (3.5%), Atopic dermatitis (3.0%), Tinea capitis (2.7%) and Pityriasis versicolor (2.4%). Conclusion: Skin diseases are common among children attending the children’s outpatient clinic in our hospital with Infective skin diseases predominating. Greater efforts need to be put into the treatment, prevention and control of these skin diseases in order to limit morbidity and mortality.