The Clinical Profile and Acute Care of Patients with Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury at a Tertiary Care Emergency Center in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Debebe, Finot and Woldetsadik, Assefu and Laytin, Adam D. and Azazh, Aklilu and Maskalyk, James (2013) The Clinical Profile and Acute Care of Patients with Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury at a Tertiary Care Emergency Center in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Masters thesis, Addis Ababa University.

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Abstract

Background: Traumatic spinal cord injury has catastrophic physical and psychological effects. Since it is difficult to reverse the neurologic, socioeconomic and psychological effects of traumatic spinal cord injuries, it is essential to understand the risk factors and focus on primary prevention strategies. The objectives of this study are to describe the clinical profile and management of patients with traumatic spinal cord injuries that presented to an Emergency center of Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Method: We conducted a cross sectional survey from October 2013 to March 2014 in Adult Emergency Center of Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital. Data were analyzed descriptively. Result: Eighty-four patients with Traumatic Spinal Cord were identified. The mean age was 33years and 86% were male. The most common mechanisms of injury were motor vehicle collisions (36.9%), falls(31.0%) and farming injuries (10.7%). The Cervical spine (47.6%) was the most commonly injured region (47.6%) and 40.5% of the injuries were complete. Most patients (77.4 %) did not receive any prehospital/hospital medical care prior to arrival in the Emergency Center. Conclusion: Traumatic spinal cord injury is a devastating injury that affects the quality of lives of a number of patients. Since there is often little chance of recovery, prevention must be a focus. Attention to road traffic safety and improved and modernized farming conditions is warranted. It is also imperative to focus on developing an effective pre hospital care and construct rehabilitation centers for these patients.

Item Type: Thesis (Masters)
Subjects: R Medicine > R Medicine (General)
Divisions: Africana
Depositing User: Vincent Mpoza
Date Deposited: 19 Nov 2018 13:21
Last Modified: 19 Nov 2018 13:30
URI: http://thesisbank.jhia.ac.ke/id/eprint/7300

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