Trauma in a Teaching Hospital Outpost: Comprehensive Health Centre, Okoyong, Cross River State, Nigeria

Road traffic injuries and other forms of trauma have become a major health problem worldwide, but Africa is the worst hit. This study was designed to evaluate the characteristics of trauma injuries in order to offer solutions for planning in terms of policy formulation and implementation.

The Comprehensive Health Centre, Okoyong, is a rural outpost of the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital. Calabar is located about 45 km away in a rural community close to the highway. Trauma patients seen from January 2004 to December 2004 were studied.

In total, 76 trauma patients were recorded. The ages ranged from 2 to 50 years (mean 26.1 years) with a male to female ratio of 3:1. Trauma was mainly due to road traffic injuries, 54 patients (71.1%) (motor vehicle - commercial in 28 patients and motorcycle in 26), followed by assault in 15 patients (19.7%). Laceration and abrasion accounted for 87.8% of injuries. The head and neck was the most common anatomical site injured in 49 patients (47%), followed by the lower limbs in 27 patients (26.0%). The injuries involved 39 passengers/pedestrians (72.3%), while a driver/14 cyclists (27.7%) ranked second. Mortality was 2.6%.

Trauma was mainly due to road traffic injuries. The development of rural trauma systems and improvements in road and traffic infrastructure would reduce injury, morbidity, and mortality.