Citation

Ohaegbulam SC. Afr. J. Med. Med. Sci. 1978; 7(1): 23-27.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1978, Spectrum Books)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

97952

Abstract

1089 patients treated for head injuries at the Unversity of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu, are analysed. Seventy-two percent of them were males. The age group 20-30 years was most vulnerable, accounting for 32% of the total. Road traffic accidents were responsible for a staggering 80% of the total. Most of the children in this group were pedestrians hit by vehicles on the roads. About 42% of the head injuries were complicated, but the incidence of intracranial haematoma was only 1.3%. The mortality rate was 9% and most of the deaths (83%) occurred few hours after the accident. Road traffic accident was responsible for 97% of the deaths. Bronchopneumonea and brain oedema was the cause of death in 70.6% of the inpatient deaths from head injury.

Language: en