Abstract

Background: Wax impaction may affect the hearing ability of pupils aged 7-17 years, making them find it difficult to cope with the normal classroom situation. We aimed to present our experience during a survey of schools in Kaduna metropolis, Kaduna Nigeria. Participants and Methods: This was a prospective cross sectional survey of primary and junior secondary school pupils. Ethical approval was obtained from the Kaduna state Ministry of health’s Health Research and Ethics Committee (HREC). Participants were selected in a stratified sampling fashion. Biodata and ear examination findings were recorded in a proforma. The collated data was analysed using Statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS) for Windows, version 20.0. Results: A total of 430 pupils (860 ears) were examined. The age range of participants was 7-17 years with mean age of 13.1 ± 1.8. Fifty participants had previous consultation with an ENT specialist in their life time. Five pupils had complaints of hearing impairment while 72 (16.74%) pupils complaint of pains in the ears. One hundred and twenty seven (29.53%) pupils were found to have impacted wax in their external auditory canals. They all had the wax removed using different modalities of treatment. Conclusion: Wax impaction was found to be common among school pupils aged 7-17 years of Kaduna metropolis. Regular health talks in schools should consist of ear care.

Keywords: Wax impaction; Pupils; Kaduna; Nigeria