Jurnal Internasional Afrika vol. 11 issue 2 2021
African Journal of Emergency Medicine
Trauma patients at the Helderberg District Hospital emergency centre, South Africa: A descriptive study
Dublin Core
Title
Jurnal Internasional Afrika vol. 11 issue 2 2021
African Journal of Emergency Medicine
Trauma patients at the Helderberg District Hospital emergency centre, South Africa: A descriptive study
African Journal of Emergency Medicine
Trauma patients at the Helderberg District Hospital emergency centre, South Africa: A descriptive study
Subject
District hospitals
Wounds and injuries
Physical trauma
Emergency care
Emergency health services
South Africa
Wounds and injuries
Physical trauma
Emergency care
Emergency health services
South Africa
Description
Introduction: Trauma is a substantial component of South Africa’s burden of disease. District hospitals provide
primary trauma care for a large proportion of this trauma burden, although most studies are in specialised or
tertiary settings. The aim was to evaluate the profile of physical trauma patients attending the emergency centre
at Helderberg District Hospital, Cape Town.
Methods: An observational descriptive study was conducted between 1 January and 30 April 2019. Patients with
trauma were identified from a register and systematically sampled to achieve a sample size of 377. Retrospective
data from medical records was collected and analysed in the Statistical Package for Social Sciences.
Results: Of the 14,873 patients attending the emergency centre 24.6% were trauma related and 381 folders were
analysed. Of these patients 30.4% were female and 69.6% male with an average age of 27.8 years. Over 60% of
patients used an ambulance to get to the hospital. Sundays were the busiest days with 23.9% of all cases.
Intentional trauma accounted for 45.4% of cases and accidental injuries 49.1%. The commonest mechanisms
were sharp injuries (27.6%), falls (22.0%) and blunt trauma (19.4%). Intentional trauma made up more than half
of all trauma in males, was more prevalent than accidental trauma between 20 and 60 years and resulted in a
higher proportion of admissions.
Conclusion: There were high levels of intentional trauma, especially involving young males over the weekend,
mostly with sharp objects. This trauma burden resulted in high numbers of admissions and transfer to tertiary
hospitals. Family physicians and other generalists need to be well trained in trauma resuscitation and stabilisation.
District hospital need to be appropriately equipped and supplied to manage trauma. Further research is
needed to identify underlying modifiable factors that can be addressed through community-orientated
interventions.
primary trauma care for a large proportion of this trauma burden, although most studies are in specialised or
tertiary settings. The aim was to evaluate the profile of physical trauma patients attending the emergency centre
at Helderberg District Hospital, Cape Town.
Methods: An observational descriptive study was conducted between 1 January and 30 April 2019. Patients with
trauma were identified from a register and systematically sampled to achieve a sample size of 377. Retrospective
data from medical records was collected and analysed in the Statistical Package for Social Sciences.
Results: Of the 14,873 patients attending the emergency centre 24.6% were trauma related and 381 folders were
analysed. Of these patients 30.4% were female and 69.6% male with an average age of 27.8 years. Over 60% of
patients used an ambulance to get to the hospital. Sundays were the busiest days with 23.9% of all cases.
Intentional trauma accounted for 45.4% of cases and accidental injuries 49.1%. The commonest mechanisms
were sharp injuries (27.6%), falls (22.0%) and blunt trauma (19.4%). Intentional trauma made up more than half
of all trauma in males, was more prevalent than accidental trauma between 20 and 60 years and resulted in a
higher proportion of admissions.
Conclusion: There were high levels of intentional trauma, especially involving young males over the weekend,
mostly with sharp objects. This trauma burden resulted in high numbers of admissions and transfer to tertiary
hospitals. Family physicians and other generalists need to be well trained in trauma resuscitation and stabilisation.
District hospital need to be appropriately equipped and supplied to manage trauma. Further research is
needed to identify underlying modifiable factors that can be addressed through community-orientated
interventions.
Creator
Trevor Marle, Robert Mash
Source
www.elsevier.com/locate/afjem
Publisher
elsevier
Date
28 March 2021
Contributor
peri irawan
Format
pdf
Language
english
Type
text
Files
Citation
Trevor Marle, Robert Mash, “Jurnal Internasional Afrika vol. 11 issue 2 2021
African Journal of Emergency Medicine
Trauma patients at the Helderberg District Hospital emergency centre, South Africa: A descriptive study,” Repository Horizon University Indonesia, accessed January 30, 2025, https://repository.horizon.ac.id/items/show/2651.
African Journal of Emergency Medicine
Trauma patients at the Helderberg District Hospital emergency centre, South Africa: A descriptive study,” Repository Horizon University Indonesia, accessed January 30, 2025, https://repository.horizon.ac.id/items/show/2651.