Report on Medical Camp Visit for Screening and Treating of Tonsillitis/Pharyngitis

 

Background: 

 

Tonsillitis and pharyngitis is a common childhood disease which occurs mostly in the children who are of age 5-15 and who are living in poor housing condition.  The striking of the earth quake on 25th of April 2015 in Nepal with Hugh destruction of the housing had forced children to live in the camp provided by different organization.  Living of large number of children in the Shelters with low sanitary condition would have risked the children to develop throat infection (Tonsillitis/Pharyngitis) and being parents occupied with the stress of being homeless would give them less priority at treating the children if they even got infected throat, which might eventually lead to the development of the Rheumatic heart fever and Rheumatic Heart disease.  Negligence of strep throat infection can easily lead to the complicated heart diseases like RF/RHD.  If screening of the throat infection is done in the appropriate time, it can prevent the occurrence of the Rheumatic heart disease which is prevalent as 11/1000 as per Nepal Heart Foundations provided data.  National Crisis condition can help increase the number of RF/RHD patient due to the lack of health care, negligence and lack of knowledge.

 

Objective:

• Screening of the Children in community and camps for Throat and chest infection.

• Treatment of the children with tonsillitis and pharyngitis.

• Primary prevention of Rheumatic Fever/Rheumatic Heart Disease (RF/RHD) by early detecting and treating tonsillitis and pharyngitis.

• Aware the general population about the Tonsillitis/Pharyngitis and RF/RHD.

 

Method used:

• Visit to different communities are done where children are living in one place, and screened the children with tonsillitis/pharyngitis and treated the children.

 

A visit to the different areas of the Lalitpur district. i.e. Sanogoun, Lubhu, Jawalakhal, Khokana, Bungamati, Tika Bhairab, Lele, Devichaur-1 Burunchuli, and Devichaur Babiya Goun, Panga and Tokha was undertaken with the purpose of screening the children living in the camps, shelter and community place and schools.  A chance of breakout of the throat infection was imposed due to the earthquake which demolished the normal housing condition and forced children to live in inappropriate housing or in the shelter in large numbers.  Keeping it in mind, it can probably impose of chances of throat infection breakout, due to negligence and inadequate knowledge about the throat infection, a medical camp was set out to screen the children in different place.

 

Screening of 2247 children between the age of 2 through 15 years of age were done in 16 different locations, among them, 271 children were infected with tonsillitis, pharyngitis and suspected RHD.  It can be seen from above result that nearly 12.% have throat infection and they were neglected and not being treated which could lead to the severe rheumatic heart disease in the near future.

 

Conclusion:

The above result so obtained can be a good proof that there is great chance of breakthrough of the throat infection during crisis period like this.  The throat infection has been given lower priority of treatment in the present scenario.  Number of RF/RHD patient will increase by 2-3% in the near future, if proper screening and treatment of the throat infection were not done.  A great care should be given to children of age group 5-10 as they are most vulnerable group; more emphasis should be given to male children than female as greater number of males are infected than females.