Research

Assessment of Magnitude and Treatment Outcome of Road Traffic Accident from January 2013-January 2015 in Dilchora Referal Hospital, Diredawa Eastern Ethiopia

Lemma Negesa, G/Egziabher G/Selassie and Jemal Mohammed
World Journal of Surgical Research 2017, 6:1

Abstract

Introduction

According to WHO the increase in road transportation has placed a considerable burden on the people’s lives. The pandemic of road traffic deaths and injuries is the major one. According to Ethiopian Federal Police (2008/09-2010/11) report, each year more than two thousand people die and ten thousand people injured in road traffic crashes. WHO has asserted that road traffic crashes are the leading cause of death and disablement second only to HIV/AIDS for people under 44 years. The continuing advance of motorization in many developing countries is likely to further exacerbate the problem.

Patients and Methods

All records’ of 402 road traffic accident patients’ were retrieved and included in the analysis. This study identified that two hundred ninety three (72.9%) were males and one hundred and nine (27.1%) female respectively with male to female ratio of 2.7:1.

Results

Majority of the patients 270 (67.2%) presented to the Hospital in less than 12hour of the accident, 120 (29.9%) of them in 12-24 hour and 12 (2.9%) presented after 24 hour of the accident. The overall length of hospital stay (LOS) ranged from 1-136 days. Two hundred and sixty-eight (67%) of RTA victims had GCS of between13-15 on admission, 86 (21.4%) had between 9-12 and 48 (12%) between3-8. Of total RTA victims 402 of them admitted in the study period 363 (90.5%) were managed as conservative while 38 (9.5%) of them were managed surgically. From 402 patients admitted 362 (90%) were alive and discharged. About 304 (75.6%) of patients were discharged improving without any sequel, 60 (15%) were discharged with some disabilities and 38 (9.4%) of them were dead of RTA.

Conclusion

Road traffic accident is an important public health problem accounting for a substantial proportion of all trauma admissions at Dilchora referral hospital. The age of RTA patients ranged from 1to 75 years old and the maximum number of patients (43%) found in 15-24 years. There was preponderance of RTA in males

Key words

RTA, Trauma, Treatment outcome

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