HEAD INJURIES FROM ROAD TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS: OUTCOME IN THOSE WHO COULD NOT AFFORD COMPUTERIZED TOMOGRAPHY SCAN OF THE BRAIN
Abstract
Background Due to limited resources some of our patients who had head injuries could not afford the cost of computerized tomography (CT) scan of the brain. Our center covers many rural areas populated by peasant farmers and petty traders. Many of them do not have the financial capacity to pay for CT scan. We tried to see what the functional outcome among these poor patients would look like using road traffic accident as an etiological prototype. Objectives To find out the functional outcome of patients who had head injuries from road traffic accident but could not afford brain CT scan.
Methods: It was a prospective study of patients who had head injuries from road traffic accident but could not afford CT scan of the brain. The study was carried out from 1st January 2011 to 31st December 2017. Patients were resuscitated in accident and emergency using advanced trauma life support protocols. Patients were admitted into the wards and managed till discharged. Data were collected using structured proforma and analyzed with Environmental Performance Index (EPI) info 7 software.
Results: There were 155 patients. Males were 122. The age ranged from seven months to 75 years. The favorable functional outcome was 88.38%, while mortality was 11.61%. The outcome was affected by age and severity of injury
Conclusion: The outcome in these patients was good. It was affected by injury severity and age.
Downloads
References
riders and pillion passengers involved in motorcycle crashes in an urban area in Cameroon: lessons for prevention. BMC Public Health 2015;15:915 doi: 10.1186/
s12889-015-2290-4
2. Kareem A. Review of the global menace of road accidents with special reference to Malaysia ─ a social perspective. Malaysia Journal Medical Sciences 013;10:31-39
3. Ameratunga S, Hijar M, Norton R. Roadtraffic injuries: confronting disparities to address a global-health problem. Lancet 2006;367:1533-1540
4. Ibrahim NA, Ajani AWO, Mustafa IA, Balogun RA, Oludara MA, Idowu OE, et al. Road traffic injury in Lagos, Nigeria: assessing prehospital care. Prehospital and
Disaster Medicine 2017;32:424-430
5. Afukaar FK. Speed control in developing countries: issues, challenges, and opportunities in reducing road traffic injuries. Injury Control and Safety Promotion 2003;10:77-81
6. Ackaah W and Afukaar FK. Prevalence of helmet use among motorcycle users in Tamale Metropolis, Ghana: an observational study. Traffic Injury Prevention 2010;11:522-525
7. Afukaar FK, Damsere-Derry J, Ackaah W. Observed seat belt use in Kumasi Metropolis, Ghana. Journal of Prevention and Intervention in the Community
2010;38:280-289
8. Kudebong M, Wurapa F, Nonvignon J, Norman I, Awoonor-Williams JK, Aikins M. Economic Burden of the motorcycle accident in northern Ghana. Ghana Med J
2011;45:135-142Nnadi M. N.*& Bankole O. B., Med. Res. Chronicles., 6(1), 04-09 2019
9. Alexander T, Fuller G, Hargovan P, Clarke DL, Muckart DJ, Thomson SR. An audit of the quality of care of traumatic brain injury at a busy regional hospital in South Africa. S Afr J Surg 2009;47:120
10. Adeleye AO and Ogun MI. Clinical epidemiology of head injury from roadtraffic trauma in a developing country in the current era. Frontiers in Neurology 2017;8:695
11. Agrawal A, Munivenkatappa A, Rustigi N, Mohan PR, Subrahmanyan BV. Epidemiological characteristics affecting outcomes in traumatic brain injury. Journal
of Medical Society 2017;31:28-31
12. Adam A, Alhassan A, Yabasin I. incidence of traumatic brain injury in a Ghanaian hospital. Journal of Medical and Biomedical Sciences 2016;5:5-12
13. Tran TM, Fuller AT, Kiryabwire J, Mukasa J, Muhumuza M, Ssenyojo H, et al. Distribution and characteristics of severe traumatic brain injury at Mulago National
referred hospital in Uganda. World Neurosurgery 2015;83:269-277
14. Stocchetti N, Paterno R, Citerio G, Beretta L, Colombo A. Traumatic brain injury in the aging population. J Neurotrauma 2012;29:1119-1125
15. Gilmer LK, Ansari MA, Roberts KN, Scheff SW. Age-related mitochondrial changes after traumatic brain injury. J Neurotrauma 2010;27:939-950
16. Boniface R, Lugazia ER, Ntungi AM, Kiloloma O. Management and outcome of traumatic brain injury patients at Muhimbili Orthopedic Institute Dares Salaam, Tanzania. The Pan African Medical Journal 2017;25:140 Doi: 10.11604/ pamj. 2017.26. 10345
17. Horn SD, Kinikini M, More LW, Hammond FM, Brandstater ME, Smout RJ, et al. Enteral nutrition for patients with traumatic brain injury in the rehabilitation setting: associations with preinjury and injury characteristics and outcome. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2015;96(8Suppl 3): S245-255
18. Wetsch WA, Bӧttiger BW, Padosch SA. Brain trauma and nutritional support. Diet and Nutrition in Critical Care DOI 10.1007/978-1-4614-8503-2_72-1
