EXPERIENCE WITH ROAD TRAFFIC ACCIDENT VICTIMS AT THE NAIROBI HOSPITAL
Abstract
Objective: To evaluate the clinical and epidemiological data on automobile injuries and to
assess the adequacy of road trauma documentation at the Nairobi Hospital.
Design: A retrospective descriptive study.
Setting: The Accident and Emergency Centre of the Nairobi Hospital.
Subjects and method: Medical records of randomly selected road trauma patients who
presented at The Accident Centre between 1st July 1997 and 31st August 1998 wereanalysed.
Results: The mean age was 32 years with a peak incidence in the 21-30 year age group. Males
comprised 63.1 % of the injured. The predominant category of the road user injured was the
vehicle occupant (70%). Pedestrians only constituted 21.3%. Major city roads or highways
were the commonest scenes of injury (38.3%). Most of the responsible vehicles were small
personal cars (65.8%). The public service minibuses (popularly known as matatu) caused
20% of the injuries. Most of the injuries were mild and transport of the injured to hospital
was uniformly haphazard. A quarter of the injuries were severe enough to warrant
admission. Trauma documentation was poorwith less than 30% accuracy in most parameters.
Conclusion: The pre-hospital and initial care of the injured is not systematized. The study
calls for re-orientation of trauma care departments to the care of the injured.
assess the adequacy of road trauma documentation at the Nairobi Hospital.
Design: A retrospective descriptive study.
Setting: The Accident and Emergency Centre of the Nairobi Hospital.
Subjects and method: Medical records of randomly selected road trauma patients who
presented at The Accident Centre between 1st July 1997 and 31st August 1998 wereanalysed.
Results: The mean age was 32 years with a peak incidence in the 21-30 year age group. Males
comprised 63.1 % of the injured. The predominant category of the road user injured was the
vehicle occupant (70%). Pedestrians only constituted 21.3%. Major city roads or highways
were the commonest scenes of injury (38.3%). Most of the responsible vehicles were small
personal cars (65.8%). The public service minibuses (popularly known as matatu) caused
20% of the injuries. Most of the injuries were mild and transport of the injured to hospital
was uniformly haphazard. A quarter of the injuries were severe enough to warrant
admission. Trauma documentation was poorwith less than 30% accuracy in most parameters.
Conclusion: The pre-hospital and initial care of the injured is not systematized. The study
calls for re-orientation of trauma care departments to the care of the injured.
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