TITLE:
Trauma Emergencies at University Hospital of Brazzaville, Congo
AUTHORS:
Massamba Miabaou Didace, Boukassa Léon, Note Madzele Murielle, Monka Marius, Ondima Irène, Moyikoua Armand, Massamba Alphonse
KEYWORDS:
Emergencies, Trauma, Accidents, Public Road, Violence
JOURNAL NAME:
Surgical Science,
Vol.13 No.3,
March
25,
2022
ABSTRACT: Background: Trauma is the main reason for consultation in the emergency unit. They deserve particular attention in the
Congo where road accidents and violence of all kinds are increasingly
observed. Methods: This study who carried
out in the surgical emergencies at the University Hospital of Brazzaville, aims to analyze the epidemiological and etiological aspects, the
anatomical lesions encountered; to describe their management, as well as to
evaluate the induced mortality while emphasizing their place in all surgical
emergencies. The prospective and analytical study included 2127 patients
admitted to a traumatic emergency unit from January 1 to June 30, 2018. Medical
records served as data sources. The measure of trauma severity was determined
using Champion’s Trauma Score. The epidemiological, clinical and therapeutic
parameters were studied. Results: The population most affected was
adolescents and young adults (mean age, 27.3 years) with a male predominance:
1318 men (i.e. 61.9%) for 809 women (i.e. 38.1%). Road accidents (n = 819, or
38.5%) were the main cause of injuries, followed by violence (n = 702, or 33%)
and falls (27.3%). The skull, limbs, thorax and abdomen are the main targets.
The most observed lesions were limb fractures (n = 344, i.e. 16.1%), intracranial hematomas and contusions (n = 315, i.e. 14.8%), thoracic and abdominal
wounds (n = 28, i.e. 1.3%). Mortality
was evaluated at 0.6%, and was correlated with the severity of the lesions and
the type of trauma. Conclusion: Trauma is very common in emergency consultations in Congo, with a hospital
frequency of 75.1% of all emergencies. Preventive actions are essential to
reduce their frequency.