A study on the pattern of injuries admitted to the accident and emergency service, National Hospital of Sri Lanka

Abstract

Traumatic injuries are a leading cause of hospitalization and mortality in Sri Lanka. National Hospital of Sri Lanka (NHSL) receives trauma patients from the entire country. Road Traffic Accidents (RTA) are a primary cause of trauma. This study reports the pattern of injuries admitted to the NHSL. This is a descriptive cross-sectional study. The patients admitted to the NHSL with fractures, neurotrauma, vascular injury, abdominal and other injuries were included. Data on date and time of admission, demography, place / site of incident, date / time of incident, mechanism of injury, type of vehicle involved (if RTA) and type of injuries were collected. Incomplete data were excluded. A total number of 160 were included of which 140 (87.5%) were males and 20 (12.5%) were females. Mean age of the patients was 39.6 (08-88) years. Causes of injury were; RTA 73 (45.6%), accidental slip and fall 26 (16.2%), fall from height 13 (8.1%), assault 10 (6%), self-inflicted injuries 9 (5.6%), occupational injuries 6 (3.7%) and sports injuries. The type of vehicle involved in RTA was motor bike in 47 (64.3%), three-wheeler in 9 (12.3%), bicycles in 3 (4.1%), bus in 3% and others11(15%).Among the patients, 81 (41%) had fractures, 36 (16.5%) neurotrauma, 32 (15%) vascular injuries, and 27 (12.4%) thoracoabdominal injuries. 136 (83.7%) underwent interventions and 26 (16.3%) were managed nonoperatively. This study shows that early middle aged (39.6 years) males are the highest number of trauma admission to the NHSL. Motor bikes are the predominant vehicle involved with RTA (64.3%) associated injuries. This indicated that a strict policy on motor bike traffic control should be implemented.