Trauma in the western region of Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Objective To evaluate the pattern of injuries and available prehospital and hospital care in this rapidly emerging country with western type hospital and trauma care resources serving a population that in many areas is still considered to be developing. Setting Accident & Emergency Department of King Khalid National Guard Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Method Records of all patients admitted to the accident and emergency department sustaining injuries due to trauma were studied, including patients brought in dead. Results Injuries represented 10% of all accident and emergency referrals. Falls were the most common cause of injury, followed by sports injuries and road traffic accidents. The male to female ratio for all injuries was 3:1; 84% of injured patients were below the age of 30 years with 34% 10 years old or less. Sprains and strains were the commonest injury type (23%); followed by lacerations (20%) and fractures (19%). Total mortality among seriously injured patients was 35%. Eight out of 14 brought in dead to the accident and emergency department had an ISS of less than 30 and four had a score of less than 18. Conclusions Trauma constitutes a major cause of mortality in Saudi Arabia. Road traffic accidents account for only 10% of injured patients, but cause greatest mortality and morbidity. Untrained ambulance staff and the lack of paramedics were identified as causal in the mortality among patients brought dead to the accident and emergency department with a very low injury severity score. Recommendations are made to improve the outcome of trauma victims.