RADHAKRISHNAN JAYAKRISHNAN
Cecilia Makiwane Hospital, Eastern Cape in South Africa
Title: Trauma Care
Biography
Biography: RADHAKRISHNAN JAYAKRISHNAN
Abstract
Background: Globally, 8.5% of global deaths are as a result of trauma and injuries while 90% of these deaths occur in the low and middle-income countries. South Africa records six times the global injury-related mortality rates while road traffic-related injuries in South Africa is double the global average. Often times, there is an under-reporting of the burden of trauma and injuries in many resource-limited settings and this serves as a barrier to development of an effective trauma care system. This study sought to describe the profile of trauma cases seen at the emergency department of a provincial hospital in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa.
Results: Almost all (98.0%) the trauma patients were males. Most (98.25) of the trauma cases were intentional injuries (assault), which were majorly penetrative (92.7%) in nature, with all resulting from stabbing. Also, 82.8% of the patients were admitted between Fridays and Sundays with over half (51.0%) arriving overnight (7pm to 7am). Over half (59.0%) of the injuries took place on the streets while 23.0% of them took place at the taverns. On examination, 47.2% developed haemopneumothorax while 33.0% developed pneumothorax. Almost all (99.1%) the patients were admitted and the mean duration of admission was 3 days. On the average, most patients report at the health facility within 20 hours of incidence.
Conclusion: There is a high rate of intentional injuries in the study setting, particularly among the males. Over half of the patients presented on weekends and at night times when there are limited personnel. There is a need for a more stringent measures of security to prevent intentional injuries and its related healthcare burden in the setting.