The Severity of Ophthalmic Damage Following Plantain Sap Used in the Treatment of Febrile Convulsion (A Case Report)

Abstract

In the course of both conventional (orthodox) and non-orthodox (trado - spiritual, etc) health care service delivery we encounter patients that may present with conditions that require eye care intervention primarily or with eye ailments alongside other systemic ailments. The initial interventional measure may be deficient and sometimes results in severe ocular morbidity. This case report is the instillation of substance (sap from plantain stem) into the eyes of a one-month old male child by a non-orthodox health care provider in the treatment of febrile seizure with the aim to subside twitching of the eye lid that usually accompany other generalized tonic clonic activities in febrile seizures which the child presented with to the spiritual practitioner. This resulted in severe ocular chemical injury as presented here with bilateral symblepharon and corneal ulceration. Intervention by rodding with copious antibiotic ointment under topical anaesthetic reversed the symblepharon while institution of topical vitamin C fortified tear substitute, cycloplegic and antibiotics achieved positive results with resolution of the corneal ulcer. The case report identifies one of such of so many conditions where the larger health care service primary intervention interferes negatively with proper eye care service intervention, hence the need for universal health services where eye care service needs to be properly integrated into the larger health care service including the non-orthodox health care providers by way of health education and awareness.