Traumatic spinal cord injuries can have catastrophic physical, psychological, and social consequences, particularly in low resource settings. Since many of these injuries result in irreversible damages, it is essential to understand risk factors for them and focus on primary prevention strategies. T...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2016-12-01
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| Series: | African Journal of Emergency Medicine |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211419X16300817 |
| _version_ | 1819241643976425472 |
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| author | Finot Debebe Assefu Woldetsadik Adam D. Laytin Aklilu Azazh James Maskalyk |
| author_facet | Finot Debebe Assefu Woldetsadik Adam D. Laytin Aklilu Azazh James Maskalyk |
| author_sort | Finot Debebe |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Traumatic spinal cord injuries can have catastrophic physical, psychological, and social consequences, particularly in low resource settings. Since many of these injuries result in irreversible damages, it is essential to understand risk factors for them and focus on primary prevention strategies. The objectives of this study are to describe the demographics, injury characteristics, and management of traumatic spinal cord injury victims presenting to the Adult Emergency Centre of Tikur Anbessa Specialised Hospital in Addis Ababa, the tertiary referral centre for emergency care in Ethiopia.
Methods: A prospective cross sectional survey was conducted from October 2013 to March 2014 in the Adult Emergency Centre of Tikur Anbessa Specialised Hospital. Patients were identified at triage and followed through admission to discharge from the emergency centre.
Results: Eighty-four patients with traumatic spinal cord injuries were identified. The mean age was 33 years and 86% were male. The most common mechanisms of injury were motor vehicle collisions (37%), falls (31%), and farming injuries (11%). The cervical spine (48%) was the most commonly injured region and 41% were complete spinal cord injuries. Most patients (77%) did not receive any prehospital care or medical care at other facilities prior to arrival in the Emergency Centre.
Conclusion: In our context, traumatic spinal cord injuries predominantly affect young men, and the majority of victims suffer severe injuries with little chance of recovery. Attention to occupational and road traffic safety is essential to mitigate the personal and societal burdens of traumatic spinal cord injuries. It is also imperative to focus on improving prehospital care and rehabilitation services for traumatic spinal cord injury victims. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-23T14:27:11Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-cd78b7e5c3534c10b5e315e138ef6158 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2211-419X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-23T14:27:11Z |
| publishDate | 2016-12-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | African Journal of Emergency Medicine |
| spelling | doaj.art-cd78b7e5c3534c10b5e315e138ef61582022-12-21T17:43:37ZengElsevierAfrican Journal of Emergency Medicine2211-419X2016-12-016418018410.1016/j.afjem.2016.06.001Finot Debebe0Assefu Woldetsadik1Adam D. Laytin2Aklilu Azazh3James Maskalyk4Addis Ababa University, EthiopiaAddis Ababa University, EthiopiaOregon Health & Science University, USAAddis Ababa University, EthiopiaEmergency Medicine, University of Toronto, CanadaTraumatic spinal cord injuries can have catastrophic physical, psychological, and social consequences, particularly in low resource settings. Since many of these injuries result in irreversible damages, it is essential to understand risk factors for them and focus on primary prevention strategies. The objectives of this study are to describe the demographics, injury characteristics, and management of traumatic spinal cord injury victims presenting to the Adult Emergency Centre of Tikur Anbessa Specialised Hospital in Addis Ababa, the tertiary referral centre for emergency care in Ethiopia. Methods: A prospective cross sectional survey was conducted from October 2013 to March 2014 in the Adult Emergency Centre of Tikur Anbessa Specialised Hospital. Patients were identified at triage and followed through admission to discharge from the emergency centre. Results: Eighty-four patients with traumatic spinal cord injuries were identified. The mean age was 33 years and 86% were male. The most common mechanisms of injury were motor vehicle collisions (37%), falls (31%), and farming injuries (11%). The cervical spine (48%) was the most commonly injured region and 41% were complete spinal cord injuries. Most patients (77%) did not receive any prehospital care or medical care at other facilities prior to arrival in the Emergency Centre. Conclusion: In our context, traumatic spinal cord injuries predominantly affect young men, and the majority of victims suffer severe injuries with little chance of recovery. Attention to occupational and road traffic safety is essential to mitigate the personal and societal burdens of traumatic spinal cord injuries. It is also imperative to focus on improving prehospital care and rehabilitation services for traumatic spinal cord injury victims.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211419X16300817Spine injuryTraumaEthiopia |
| spellingShingle | Finot Debebe Assefu Woldetsadik Adam D. Laytin Aklilu Azazh James Maskalyk African Journal of Emergency Medicine Spine injury Trauma Ethiopia |
| topic | Spine injury Trauma Ethiopia |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211419X16300817 |