Traumatic injury mechanisms and severity in Karachi, Pakistan: a single center prospective study
Location
Auditorium Pond Side
Start Date
26-2-2014 10:30 AM
Abstract
Background: Traumatic injury is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the developing world. Etiology and outcomes may differ substantially across regions and gender. Objective: We sought to describe the patterns of injury mechanism, treatment and outcomes in patients of all ages presenting at a major trauma center in Karachi, Pakistan.
Methods: All patients presenting for emergency treatment of moderate-to-severe acute traumatic injury between January 1, 2011 and December 31, 2011 were eligible for study. Injury Severity Scores (ISS) were calculated for each patient based on injury descriptions. Descriptive statistical methods, including Student’s t-tests and Wilcoxon rank-sum tests, as well as Chi-square tests were used to compare differences between genders and across age groups. Inpatient treatment intensity and mortality were examined across patient factors.
Results: A total of 678 individuals were eligible for study, of whom 89.2% were male. Median age was similar for male and female patients (29 vs. 27 years respectively; p=0.262). The vast majority of patients incurred road traffic injuries (RTI) with 58.7% of all injuries among males and 82.2% among females. Among males, 27.8% of admissions were related to gunshot wounds compared with 4.1% among females (p<0.001). Falls represented 6.1 % of admissions and were evenly distributed across genders. Pedestrian injury was the most common trauma for patients aged 65 years or older encompassing 57.7% of all injuries in this age group. Overall, more than half of the patients were transferred to ICU care (30.2%) or to the OR (20.9%). Patient mortality was 4.0% and did not differ by gender (p=0.489).
Conclusion: The majority of patients presenting with moderate-to-severe trauma had suffered RTI. Over half of all patients were treated with ICU and/or or surgical care and 4% of all patient died in-hospital. Injury patterns across age and gender suggest possible subpopulation-specific areas for
Keywords: Truama, Injury, Karachi, Pakistan
Traumatic injury mechanisms and severity in Karachi, Pakistan: a single center prospective study
Auditorium Pond Side
Background: Traumatic injury is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the developing world. Etiology and outcomes may differ substantially across regions and gender. Objective: We sought to describe the patterns of injury mechanism, treatment and outcomes in patients of all ages presenting at a major trauma center in Karachi, Pakistan.
Methods: All patients presenting for emergency treatment of moderate-to-severe acute traumatic injury between January 1, 2011 and December 31, 2011 were eligible for study. Injury Severity Scores (ISS) were calculated for each patient based on injury descriptions. Descriptive statistical methods, including Student’s t-tests and Wilcoxon rank-sum tests, as well as Chi-square tests were used to compare differences between genders and across age groups. Inpatient treatment intensity and mortality were examined across patient factors.
Results: A total of 678 individuals were eligible for study, of whom 89.2% were male. Median age was similar for male and female patients (29 vs. 27 years respectively; p=0.262). The vast majority of patients incurred road traffic injuries (RTI) with 58.7% of all injuries among males and 82.2% among females. Among males, 27.8% of admissions were related to gunshot wounds compared with 4.1% among females (p<0.001). Falls represented 6.1 % of admissions and were evenly distributed across genders. Pedestrian injury was the most common trauma for patients aged 65 years or older encompassing 57.7% of all injuries in this age group. Overall, more than half of the patients were transferred to ICU care (30.2%) or to the OR (20.9%). Patient mortality was 4.0% and did not differ by gender (p=0.489).
Conclusion: The majority of patients presenting with moderate-to-severe trauma had suffered RTI. Over half of all patients were treated with ICU and/or or surgical care and 4% of all patient died in-hospital. Injury patterns across age and gender suggest possible subpopulation-specific areas for
Keywords: Truama, Injury, Karachi, Pakistan