歯ブラシによる小児の口腔・咽頭外傷

Oropharyngeal trauma by a toothbrush in children

I．はじめに

　咽頭外傷の要因にはさまざまなものがあるが，小児では歯ブラシも口腔・咽頭外傷の一因となる。一方，歯の衛生概念が普及し，近年乳児にも歯ブラシによる歯磨きが普及してきている。乳幼児が歯ブラシをくわえたまま転倒することは十分に予想の範囲内である。当科では乳幼児の歯ブラシにより口腔あるいは咽頭に外傷を生じた例を4例経験した。口腔・咽頭外傷の予防と啓蒙に役立てたいと考え，その4例に学童例を加え，5例について受傷の機転や経過などを報告する。

　A toothbrush in the mouth can be an object which causes injury within the oropharynx. In our division five children（4 infants,1 schoolchild）were diagnosed as having oropharyngeal trauma caused by a toothbrush. This report aims to review the situation that the child had got injured and the clinical course of the injury and to highlight the fact that at times the injure could lead to severe complications.

　Although generally speaking forty to sixty percent of the injuries can be prevented with reliable adult supervision,in the case of such trauma by foreign bodies the original form of the foreign body should be identified and close observation is crucial in the oropharynx injury by toothbrush in children.