Association of Surgeons of East Africa and College of Surgeons of East Central and Southern Africa
Abstract
Background: In Ethiopia, Injuries constitute around half of all
surgical emergencies, and are the primary reason for an emergency
hospital visit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The aim of this study was to
determine the frequency and pattern of major limb traumatic injuries
and orthopedic conditions treated as emergency at Tikur Anbessa
University Hospital (TAUH). Methods: A three-year retrospective
descriptive audit of all the orthopedic and major limb trauma patients
who attended the 'surgical' emergency department of TAUH in the
three-year period between December 2001 and November 2004, and who
received treatment necessitating at least one further visit. Results: A
total of 7317 patients presented to the orthopaedic emergency service
at Tikur Anbessa Hospital (TAUH) during the study period. Their median
age was 25 years. Males: Female ratio of 3:1. A total of 7151 (98%) had
suffered one or more severe limb injuries. Polytrauma was noted in 516
(7%) of the cases. Road Traffic Injuries (RTI's) accounted for 2793
(39%) patients of whom 88% were pedestrians who had been 'hit by a
car'. Hand injuries accounted for 841 (12%), and of these 162 (20%)
lost either a part of or all of the hand. Ninety nine (61%) of these
'hand' amputations followed a machine injury. Only 740 patients were
admitted to TAUH out of 2372 whose condition required urgent inpatient
care. One hundred and sixty five patients (2% of total) arrived with an
acute orthopedic infection, 120 were children (73%) and 109 (90%) of
these arrived 'late'. Conclusion: It is suggested that a reduction in
the number of RTA's together with appropriate education of the public
would reduce the number of patients currently being injured in Addis
Ababa. Finally we believe that this study recording the relative
incidence of fractures and joint injuries by site will provide a base
line for further studies