Detection and treatment of congenital dislocation of the hip in 'babies at risk' in Western Galillee
Alkalay, I.; Shmuel, J.
British Journal of Clinical Practice 42(12): 495-497
1988
ISSN/ISBN: 0007-0947 PMID: 3256344 Document Number: 3971
Western Galillee with its mixed Jewish, Druze and Arab populations, where familial intermarriage, (especially in Arab and Druze populations), is very frequent, is an area with a very high incidence of congenital dislocation of the hip (CDH) The detection of babies at risk is made by the joint efforts of the orthopaedic surgeons and paediatricians at the Nahariya Government Hospital, and the medical staff at the Mother and Baby clinics. During the period 1962-1978, 8,674 'babies at risk' were examined and 1,731 confirmed cases of CDH were diagnosed and treated conservatively or surgically. Every suspect CDH baby was examined and X-rayed in the orthopaedic clinic not later than seven to 10 days after being referred by the visiting doctor of the Mother and Baby clinic. Conservative or surgical treatment was started as soon as possible, but not later than two weeks after establishing the diagnosis. This procedure, together with frequent and close consultations between the personnel of both clinics on how to make the detection system more efficient, produced successful and early detection of CDH, making early conservative treatment possible and reducing the number of cases which needed multiple and repetitive surgery from 19.6 per cent to five per cent.
Document emailed within 1 workday
