Epidemiology of Injuries Seen in a Nigerian Tertiary Hospital

BACKGROUND: The study aimed to describe the pattern of injuries among patients presenting at a tertiary care hospital in Enugu southeast Nigeria. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective review of records of all injured patients seen in our hospital over a 12–month period was done. RESULTS: A total of 789 patients had complete medical records and were included in the study. Road traffic accident (RTA) was the most common cause of injury. Lacerations/abrasions, fractures, and traumatic brain injury (TBI) were the most frequently seen injuries. The injury severity score (ISS) of the patients ranged from 1 to 50 with a mean score of 8.9 ± 3.5. RTAs were responsible for 90.8% of patients with ISS >15. Patients with ISS >15 contributed to 64.1% of all deaths. The mortality rate was 4.5%. Most deaths resulted from RTA and were associated with TBI (P = 0.001). CONCLUSION: Lacerations and fractures were the most common injuries. RTA was the leading cause of injury. TBI was the most common cause of injury–related death.