Evaluation of acute flaccid paralysis in the Lorestan province

Acute flaccid paralysis(AFP) is a neurologic emergency in pediatrics and poliomyelitis is a viral infection with wide variety of signs from an asymptomatic infection to paralysis and death. Planning for eradication of poliomyelitis in world with global immunization and evaluation of all patients under 15 years old with AFP without history of trauma are very important. Materials &

This is a descriptive retrospective study on 55 patients with AFP reported to health centers of Lorestan from 1997 to first 8 months of 2004. Materials of study were medical information of patients in health centers.

51% of patients were males with average age of 6 years, average polio vaccination was 6 times. 76% of patients were febrile in first step of disease and in 63.6% paralysis were symmetric and average time to develop paralysis was 4.2 days and in 32.7% lower extremities were paralysed . Para clinical examination results in all patients were negative for poliomyelitis . Guillen- barre syndrome was diagnosed in 45.45% of patients.

Results indicated that all patients were negative for poliomyelitis showing good immunization for polio in Lorestan.