Pattern of Head Injury in the Emergency Department of the Delta State University Teaching Hospital, Oghara, Nigeria

Background: Head injury (HI) is a common condition presenting to Emergency Departments (EDs), accounting for a significant proportion of morbidity and mortality of the productive age of the world’s population.

Aim: This study aims to highlight head injured patients’ epidemiological pattern as seen in the Emergency Department of the Delta State University Teaching Hospital (DELSUTH), Oghara, Nigeria.

Methodology: This was a prospective study of all consecutive head injured adult patients seen in the ED of DELSUTH from January to December, 2014. The variables assessed included age, gender, aetiology, severity of injury and mortality. Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) was used to assess the severity of head injury.

Results: Eighty-eight head injured patients were seen in the ED in the period under review. The mean age was 32.80±12.50 years. Age range was 17-85 years. The most affected persons were from 25-34 years of age (31.8%). The male: Female ratio was 9 to 1. On aetiology, 4.4% of the patients had a fall, 13.6% were assaults and 81.9% had Road Traffic Accident (RTA). In terms of severity of injury, 49 (55.7%) of the patients had mild HI, 20.4% had moderate head injury and 23.8% had severe HI. RTA was the sole aetiology of head trauma for those 45 years and above (22.7%). Six (6.8%) of the patients died while receiving treatment at the ED before transfer for further specialised care.

Conclusion: Head injury is a major contributor to trauma admissions in the ED. The economically most productive age groups and the male sex are mostly affected. RTA is still a major cause of head injury in our society. There is therefore the need for the education of road users on road safety measures and for the government to improve on the state of the roads. Increased funding for pre-hospital and specialist neurosurgical facilities and personnel will also ensure that head injured patients get the best care possible.