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Category: Volume 08 Issue 12 December 2020
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Title: Pattern of traumatic head injury in Makurdi, north central Nigeria: Accident and Emergency experience

Authors: Annongu Isaac Terkimbi, Hameed Mohammed, Chia Daniel Msuega, Kator Paul Iorpagher, Nathaniel Ayoughur

 DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.18535/jmscr/v8i12.32

Abstract

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a common condition presenting in the accident and Emergency Department (AED). Defined as injury to the scalp, skull and brain, no age group is spared. The study aims to highlight the epidemiological pattern associated with head injury patients as seen in the AED of this tertiary institution where the study was carried out. This was a 27 months retrospective study of all head injury patients who met the criteria for traumatic brain injury in the AED. Data was collected from the emergency cards and case notes, then collated and analyzed using the descriptive statistics on SPSS 16, with the p value taken as <0.05. One thousand, three hundred and twenty eight (1328) patients were recorded at the AED during the period under review; 123(9.2%) of them met the inclusion criteria for the study. There were 101 (87.1%) males   and 22 (17.9%) female. The mean age incidence 33.5 years was in the 31 - 40 year age group.  Civil servants constituted the highest occupational group 40 (32.5%). Most (59.3%) of the cases resulted from motorcycle (MC) accident; then motor vehicle (MV) 22.0%, assaults12.2%,fall 8.1% and domestic injury 2.4%.For severity, 76 (61.8%) of the patients had mild HI, 17.9% had moderate and 20.3% had severe HI. 72.4% were discarded from AED,22.0% were referred or admitted into the wards. There were 2 deaths all males giving a mortality rate of 1.6%.TBI is a common presentation at AED. Civil servants within the age range 21-40 years were mostly implicated and RTA was the commonest etiology factor especially MCA.  Improving the state of our roads, licensing road users and compliance to traffic regulations will go a long way in reducing this menace.

Keywords: trauma, brain, injury, aetiology, accident & emergency.           

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Corresponding Author

Annongu, Isaac Terkimbi

Department of Radiology, College of Health Sciences, Benue State University, Makurdi