Pediatric ENT Emergencies: Epidemiological, Clinical, and Therapeutic Aspects. A 5-Year Retrospective Analysis of 150 Cases

Introduction: Pediatric ENT emergencies represent a significant diagnostic and therapeutic challenge due to the potential for serious functional and aesthetic sequelae, and even life-threatening complications. Objectives: To describe the epidemiological, clinical, therapeutic, and outcome characteristics of ENT emergencies in children. Methods: This was a five-year retrospective study (2017-2021) including 150 children aged 3 to 15 years hospitalized for an absolute or relative ENT emergency. Data were collected using a pre-established form and analyzed with Microsoft Excel. Results: The mean age was 5.3 years with a male predominance (56.6%). Infectious pathologies (54.7%) and foreign bodies (30%) were the main etiologies. The most common presenting symptoms were otalgia (24.5%) and fever (18.3%). The majority of cases (88.7%) were relative emergencies. Treatment was primarily medical (86.6%) and/or surgical (76%). The outcome was favorable in 98% of cases. Conclusion: This study confirms the predominance of infectious emergencies and foreign bodies in pediatric ENT. Rapid and appropriate, often multidisciplinary, management yields excellent results and prevents complications. Prevention, particularly of domestic accidents and foreign body ingestion, remains a major area for improvement.