An Overview of Emergencies in Otorhinolaryngology at a Tertiary Care Centre, Telangana

Otorhinolaryngology emergencies are a common complaint in the emergency department. These emergencies can occur in all the age groups and can present as a result of infection, trauma, foreign bodies, etc. The most common Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) emergencies are epistaxis, foreign bodies in ear, nose and throat, stridor, trauma, facial bone fractures etc. Prompt assessment and immediate intervention can save lives and reduce the suffering arising out of these emergencies.The present study focusses on determining the magnitude and pattern, demographic characteristics and outcome of patients with ENT emergencies. A cross sectional study was carried out in the casualty and ENT department of Gandhi Hospital, which is a tertiary care center in Secunderabad, Telangana. The data was collected from June 2014 to May 2018. 2901 patients reported to casualty with ENT emergencies. Around 46.12% of emergencies were of Ear, 34.33% were related to nose and 19.54% were related to throat, neck and others. The most common ENT emergency among pediatric age group was foreign body in ear, nose, throat and aero digestive tract, while the most common ENT emergency in geriatric age group was Stridor. ENT emergencies are increasing in incidence due to increasing burden of road traffic accidents and early detection and institution of appropriate and adequate treatment may be important in preventing the progression of disease and minimizing complications.