Neurological conditions among pediatric patients seeking care at a tertiary level hospital in western Kenya

Abstract

Neurological disorders significantly contribute to the global burden of diseases, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. However, within local contexts in Kenya, little is known about the pattern of neurological and neurosurgical disorders within pediatric populations. A 3-month cross-sectional observational study was conducted at a tertiary-level hospital in western Kenya to describe these patterns and basic characteristics of the patient population. Consec- utive pediatric patients presenting for neurological and neurosurgical care in inpatient and outpatient settings at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital were included in the study. A total of 485 patients were included in the study. The average age of the patients was 6.2 years, and most were male (57%). Out of these, 30.3% (n=147) were inpatients, and 69.7% (n=338) were outpatients. Inpatients traveled longer distances compared to outpatients (P<0.001), and most were from rural areas (P<0.0001), while outpatients were mostly from peri-urban areas (P<0.0001). The majority of the inpatients (25%) and outpatients (69%) had a diagno- sis of epilepsy. Other common neurological conditions were neurodevelopmental delays and meningitis/encephalitis. Given the burden of these diseases, there is a need to improve the health infrastructure for better access to quality healthcare. Specifically, improving epilepsy care, supporting neurodevelopmental programs, managing infectious diseases, and expand- ing neurosurgical services can enhance health infrastructure for this population.