COMPLICATIONS OF MEASLES IN HOSPITALIZED CHILDREN

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of complica- tions of measles in hospitalized children. Methodology: This hospital based cross-sectional descriptive study was con- ducted in Paediatrics Unit, Post Graduate Medical Institute, Govt Lady Reading Hospital Peshawar from January 2012 to December 2012. All patients who presented with signs and symptoms suggestive of measles according to WHO criteria were included in the study. Information regarding patient age, sex, ad- dress, vaccination status, complications and outcome were noted in specifically designed proforma. Results: A total of 302 hospitalized measles patients with different complica- tions were included in this study. Out of these 302 patients, 180(60%) were males and 122(40%) were females, with male to female ratio of 1.5:1. The age range was from four and half months to thirteen years with mean age of 26.8 months. Major complications in descending order of frequency were pneumonia 170 (56.29%), diarrhea 52 (17.22%), encephalitis 22 (7.28%), febrile seizures 21 (6.95%), croup 10 (3.31%), otitis media 9 (2.98%), severe stomatitis 7 (2.34%), emphysema 4 (1.32%), dysentery 3 (0.99%), myocarditis 2 (0.66%) and pneumothorax 2 (0.66%) each. Sixteen patients expired with a mortality rate of 5.29%.