Clinical Outcomes and Predictors of Patients with Fracture in Debre Markos Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, North West Ethiopia: A Prospective Cohort Study

BACKGROUND: Fracture continues to be a major public health concern in many parts of the developing world that results in several consequences and complications including lifelong morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to assess clinical outcomes of patients following fracture in Debre Markos Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, North West Ethiopia. METHODS: An institution-based prospective cohort study was conducted from November 2020 to July 2021 among 207 fracture patients (69 visited traditional bone setter and 138 did not visit traditional bone setter). Data were collected through face-to-face interviews, physical examinations, and radiological investigations. Data were entered using Epi-Data version 3.1 and analysis was done using STATA 14 statistical software. Descriptive statistics were summarized using mean, median, standard deviation, and percentage and presented in tables and figures. The generalized linear model was fitted to identify the risks of the outcome variable. Risk Ratio with its 95% confidence interval was used and factors with a P-value less than 0.05 were considered as a statistically significant association. RESULT: The mean age of the participants was 37.5 ± 13.6 years and two-thirds of the participants were males. Nearly half of the patients 92 (44%), 50 (54%) from the exposed and 42 (46%) from the nonexposed group, were delayed getting treatment from the hospital. The majority of the patients had been treated with Plaster of Paris immobilization (55%) followed by fixation (15%) and a combination of both (12%). Nearly half of the participants (48%), 74% from the exposed and 35% from the nonexposed group, developed complications during the follow-up period. The commonest complication was joint stiffness (45%) followed by osteoarthritis (21%). The risk of fracture-related complications among patients who did not visit traditional bone setter was decreased by 54% as compared to visitors (RR 0.46; 95% CI: (0.35, 0.60)) CONCLUSION: The magnitude of complications following the fracture is found to be high and the risk of complications among patients who visited traditional bone setters increased significantly. Therefore, prevention measures should be strengthened and integration between hospitals and traditional bone setters should be made so that basic training on fractures management will be given.