Magnitude and Associated Factors of Upper Airway Obstruction among Pediatric Patients in St. Paul’s Hospital Millennium Medical College.

Abstract

Abstract Background: Upper airway obstruction is one of the most challenging acute emergencies. Unless promptly diagnosed and managed, it rapidly progresses to hypoxia and cardiac arrest Severe upper airway obstruction accounted for 3.3 % of all pediatric intensive care unit admissions; however, there is limited information about upper air way obstruction in pediatrics and its cause particularly in the public hospitals of Addis Ababa. Objective: To assess magnitude and associated factors of upper airway obstruction among pediatric age group visited in Saint Paul’s Hospital Millennium Medical College, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2024. Methods: An institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted at SPHMMC from March 2023 to June 2024. A random sampling technique was used to select the charts of pediatric age group who attended the SPHMMC. Data were collected by three data collectors using a pre tested structured questionnaire. The data were collected via a questionnaire developed using the Google forms web application and analyzed using SPSS version 23. Descriptive statistics were carried out and presented with narration, tabulation, and graphical presentation. Binary logistic regressions were computed to determine the association between variables. The association was determined using an adjusted Odds ratio (AOR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) at a p-value of < 0.05. Result: Our study revealed that the Magnitude of Upper air way obstruction in the pediatric age group was 2.5 %. more than half of (57%), the participants were Male. The mean age of the participants was 5.3 years. Many of the patients (88%) had come from urban area, Age and duration of stayed in hospital were factors significantly affecting upper air way obstruction among pediatrics. Conclusion: The magnitude of upper air way obstruction among pediatrics are common in SPHMMC and the major cause was foreign body aspiration followed by Epiglottis, Bacterial tracheitis, Hyperthyroidism. Therefore, increasing awareness and education on the signs and symptoms of upper air way obstruction and ensure a safe environment for children to prevent accidental ingestion of foreign objects to minimize problems. Key words: Magnitude, pediatrics, upper airway obstruction, Emergency.