Citation

Nizamo H, Meyrowitsch DW, Zacarias AE, Konradsen F. Int. J. Inj. Control Safe. Promot. 2006; 13(1): 1-6.

Affiliation

Departamento de Epidemiologia e Grandes Endemias, Direccao Nacional de Saude, Ministerio da Saude, Maputo, Mocambique.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2006, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/17457300500151705

PMID

16537218

Abstract

Records of all registered deaths due to injuries maintained by the Legal Medicine Department in Maputo City for the period 1 January to 31 December 2000 were reviewed. Among the 1135 registered deaths, road traffic injuries accounted for the most common underlying cause of death (43.7%), followed by firearm discharge (8.7%) and burns (7.8%). For all deaths, skull fracture (21.9%), organ system injury (17.2%) and brain tissue injury (9.3%) were the most important intermediate causes of death and among the immediate causes of death acute anaemia (21.9%) was the most common followed by asphyxia (14.4%) and traumatic shock (12.0%). Overall, most cases were seen in the age group 20?-?29 years (27.0%) and comprising mainly males (male/female ratio 3.1). The most commonly reported cause for the victims to sustain injuries leading to death were accidents (59.4%), followed by homicides (19.8%), unknown causes (16.1%) and suicides (4.2%). Prevention of road traffic injuries and improved emergency care and health facility-based treatment is needed to reduce injury-related mortality.