Motor vehicle accident is a risk factor for traumatic head injury among children in Abuja: analysis of the first trauma registry in Nigeria

Introduction

Pediatric traumatic injury is a major public health concern that is poorly documented in lower and middle-income countries. This study analyzed data on pediatric injuries from a unique hospital trauma registry in Abuja, Nigeria.

Methods

Data were analyzed on 220 traumatically injured patients aged 21 years/less to describe injury characteristics and to determine the association between mechanism of injury and pediatric head injuries in Abuja, Nigeria, between 2014 and 2015. Bivariate analysis using Pearson's chi-square and adjusted logistic regression were conducted to characterize the population and identify risk factors for head injury. P-values<0.05 were considered statistically significant. All statistical analyses were performed using STATA v.15.1.

Results

The majority of patients were male (60.9%) with a mean age (SD) of 12.5±6.9 years. Head injuries were most common (49.6%), followed by chest (14.1%), abdomen (12.3%) and back (7.7%). The mechanism of injury was statistically significantly associated with head injury (p=0.027) with 63% of children in a motor vehicle accident sustaining a head injury. After adjusting for covariates, the odds of head injury were 3.8 times higher for children injured in a motor vehicle accidents (MVA) compared to those with falls (95%CI 1.40-10.40).

Conclusion

This analysis reveals that motor vehicle accident is a risk factor for traumatic head injury among children in Nigeria. Therefore, efforts should be made to address motor vehicle accidents involving children. These data will help to inform age-related prevention and treatment strategies. The results of this study highlight the importance of collecting pediatric trauma data in developing countries.

When walking is bad for your back: a cohort study of risk factors for traumatic spinal injury in Abuja

INTRODUCTION

This study evaluates characteristics and risk factors of traumatic spinal injuries (TSIs) treated at a trauma center in Abuja, Nigeria. TSIs are a global concern. They are frequently disabling, leading to economic, workforce, and quality of life strain. Little is known of the epidemiology of TSIs in Nigeria.

METHODS

Data were collected from National Hospital Abuja's trauma registry on 3025 patients treated at the hospital between 2014 and 2017. Patient characteristics were compared between spinal and nonspinal injury groups. Multiple logistic regression was used to identify risk factors of TSIs.

RESULTS

15% (452) of all injuries were spinal. Road traffic crashes were a significantly greater cause of spinal (77.4%) than nonspinal (59.4%) injuries (p<0.0001). Pedestrians were involved in 19% (356) of total crashes, occupying a significantly larger proportion of spinal (18.6%) than nonspinal (10.6%) injuries (p<0.0001). Three variables were modeled as risk factors of crash-related TSIs: mode of transportation, age, and gender. Only mode of transportation demonstrated statistical significance, with involvement as a pedestrian showing an adjusted odds ratio of 1.38 (95% confidence interval: 1.03-1.85, p=0.0329).

CONCLUSION

Determining characteristics and risk factors of TSIs is an essential step in addressing this health concern in Nigeria. Crashes are a significant cause of TSIs, and a quarter of TSI patients involved in a crash are pedestrians. Involvement in a crash as a pedestrian is associated with high risk of TSI. These results can help guide both the development of spinal injury prevention policies and the allocation of resources.