Epidemiological patterns of head injury in a newly established neurosurgical service: one-year prospective study

Head injury is a disease afflicting mainly young males, and road traffic accident is the most common aetiologic factor. This report evaluates the findings in a one-year prospective study done from April 21, 2006-April 20, 2007 in the first year of services in one of Nigeria's new neurosurgical Centres, to establish the baseline epidemiological patterns of head injury. Data was collected using a questionnaire from the point of presentation till discharge of each head injury patient, and augmented with theatre and outpatient records, and analyzed. The Glasgow Coma and Outcome Scales were used for grading. Our Centre is a tertiary health facility that receives referrals from private, primary and secondary facilities. Of the 334 total patients treated, 210 (62.9%) had head injuries. Males were 158 (75.2%), and 145 (69%) resulted from road traffic accident, mostly from motorcycles. Fractures were mostly basal 86 (41%), brain pathology was mostly cerebral contusion 74 (35.2%), and treatment mostly nonoperative 137 (65.2%), with good outcome in 144(68.6%). Mortality was 40 (19.1%). Trauma is the main reason for neurosurgical consultation in our Centre and the unsafe use of roads, especially with motorcycles, remains the major cause of head injury.