Non-fatal injuries among pediatric patients seeking care in an urban Ghanaian emergency department

Abstract

BackgroundAccording to the World Health Organization (WHO), injuries represent the largest cause of death among people ages 140 –and contribute to a large burden of disease worldwide. The aims of this study were to characterize the prevalence and relative mechanism of injury among children seeking emergency care and describe the demographics at time of presentation among these children to inform further research in Ghana and sub-Saharan Africa.MethodsA prospective cross-sectional survey of pediatric patients (n = 176) was conducted between 13 July 2009 and 30 July 2009 in the Accident and Emergency Center at Komfo Anoche Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi, Ghana. Participants were asked questions regarding demographics, insurance status, overall health, and chief complaint.ResultsOf the 176 patients surveyed, 66% (n = 116) presented for injuries. The mean age was 4.7 years (range 1.5 months to 17 years), and 68% (n = 120) were male. Of those presenting with injury, 43% (n = 50) had road traffic injuries (RTI). Of the RTIs, 58% (n = 29) were due to being an occupant in a car crash, 26% (n = 13) were pedestrian injuries, and 14% (n = 7) were from motorcycles. There was no significant difference in demographics, health status or indicators of socioeconomic status between injured and non-injured patients.ConclusionsAmong pediatric patients presenting for acute care at KATH during the study time frame, the majority (n = 116, 66%) presented for injuries. To date, there are no studies that characterize pediatric patients that present for acute care in Ghana. Identifying injury patterns and collecting epidemiologic data are important to guide future research and educational initiatives for Emergency Medicine.

Prevalence and risk factors associated with non-traffic related injury in the older population in Ghana: Wave 2 of the WHO Study on Global AGEing and adult health (SAGE)

“…Traffic related injury has already been studied in Ghana (Mock et al, 1999a, Mock et al, 1999b; Afukaar et al, 2003; Kudebong et al, 2011). Injury patterns have also been studied in target populations such as pregnant women (Osei-Ampofo et al, 2016) and pediatric populations (Whiteside et al, 2012). However, recent studies on non-traffic related injury using nationally representative data is limited.…”

Epidemiology of Nonfatal Injuries Among Schoolchildren

“…Injuries are considered as one of the major public health and social concerns affecting the whole population (Ming, Hu, Sun, & Xiang, 2012; Whiteside et al, 2012). Schoolchildren and young adults are the main groups affected by nonfatal injuries, and the majority of these injuries occur at school or home (Global Burden of Disease Pediatrics Collaboration, 2016; Whiteside et al, 2012; Zhou, Chen, & Dong, 2013).…”

“…Injuries are considered as one of the major public health and social concerns affecting the whole population (Ming, Hu, Sun, & Xiang, 2012; Whiteside et al, 2012). Schoolchildren and young adults are the main groups affected by nonfatal injuries, and the majority of these injuries occur at school or home (Global Burden of Disease Pediatrics Collaboration, 2016; Whiteside et al, 2012; Zhou, Chen, & Dong, 2013). The consequences of such injuries for the patients and their families are associated with negative social and economic complications, in both developing and developed countries (Agyepong & Adjei, 2008; Ming et al, 2012; Owens et al, 2008).…”