Otolaryngological Presentations in Times of Terror: Profile from a Tertiary Health Center in North-Central Nigeria.

OBJECTIVES: To report the incidence, socio-demographic characteristics, otorhinolaryngological presentations and outcomes of management of patients at the Jos University Teaching Hospital following terror attacks. METHODS: A prospective descriptive hospital based study of consecutive patients presenting with ear, nose and throat injuries as a result of bomb blasts and ethno-religious crises within a six-year period and managed at the Jos University Teaching Hospital were studied for age, gender, ear, nose and throat presentations, injury mechanism, interventions and outcome of interventions. A designed proforma was used for data collection. RESULTS: -value= 0.028). Complications were recorded in 19 (17.8%) patients. A case fatality rate of 5.6% was recorded. CONCLUSION: Bomb blasts were the major form of terror attacks in our region. The presence of multiple injuries is a significant negative predictor of patient outcomes.