Spectrum of Injury Presenting to Emergency Department in A Tertiary Care Hospital in Nepal: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

Introduction: Injury is one of the major global public health problems causing significant number of death and disability. The study aims to study the epidemiological and clinical profile of patients presented in emergency department with injury.

Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted in a tertiary care hospital from September 2019 to February 2020 after obtaining ethical approval from Institutional review board (reference number 007-076/077). A convenient sampling method was applied. Epidemiological factors, chronological factors, causes of injury, anatomical distribution, pattern of injury were studied. Statistical analysis was done using statistical package for the social sciences version 20. Point estimate at 95% Confidence Interval was calculated along with frequency and proportion for binary data.

Results: Out of 197 patients, 72 (36.5%) patients had fall followed by road traffic accident 57 (28.9%). Of total, 80 (40.6%) had injury at home and 80 (40.6%) had cut injury. Head and neck accounted for 66 (33.5%) of total injury followed by upper Extremities 50 (25.4%) and lower extremities 47 (23.9%). Eighty-seven (44.2%) of the patients visited emergency within 30 minutes of sustained injury.

Conclusions: The top three leading causes of injuries visiting emergency department were: fall, Road Traffic Accident and physical assaults respectively. The most common mode was fall being cut as most common pattern. Head and neck was the most commonest site of injury. The common place of injury was home.