Injury Surveillance in a Central Hospital in Kigali, Rwanda

The burden of trauma in four rural district hospitals in Malawi: A retrospective review of medical records

“…These proportions, which indicate a higher rate of injury among males than females, especially among adults, are similar to those reported from other studies in Malawi [12,13] as well as studies from Ethiopia [14], Kenya [15][16][17], Mozambique [18], Rwanda [19], South Africa [20], Tanzania [21], and Uganda [22,23].…”

“…The high burden from RTIs is a common finding for all-age hospital-based studies from sub-Saharan Africa, but the high proportion of cases reporting various types of animal bites may be particular to rural areas. RTIs were the most common overall cause of trauma reported by studies from Lilongwe, Malawi [24], as well as Ghana [25], Kenya [15,17], Rwanda [19], South Africa [26], and Uganda [22]. Assaults are also frequently reported as the most common cause for a visit to a hospital's emergency department, as noted in studies from Ethiopia [14] and Kenya [16].…”

“…While the current study was not able to examine details about the causes of injuries, most children injured in road traffic accidents in subSaharan Africa are pedestrians [18,20,23]. In contrast, many studies find that the majority of adults with RTI were motor vehicle passengers or drivers [16,19,22,26]. The vast majority of paediatric burns in sub-Saharan Africa are due to boiling water [18,20].…”

“…An urban hospital-based study in Lilongwe, Malawi, found injury incidents peaking in the 26-to 30-year age group [24]. Other studies of trauma by age in sub-Saharan Africa have consistently found that the highest burden is among young adults, including studies from Ethiopia [14], Ghana [25], Kenya [15,16], Rwanda [19], South Africa [26], Tanzania [21], and Uganda [22].…”

Critical care nursing practice and education in Rwanda

“…This rapid expansion and utilisation of motorcycles, coupled with the expansion of industrial production without adequate safety measures and appropriate infrastructure, is likely to increase the incidence of injuries. [14] Injuries that are critical and life threatening require rapid management and close monitoring, and therefore necessitate admission to an HDU or ICU. A study conducted in four institutions providing emergency care in Kigali reported that in 2015 there were 2 682 deaths: 57% were men, 67% were adults >18 years, and 16% children <5 years.…”