Ngaroua Hôpital Régional de Ngaoundéré - Service de Chirurgie, Cameroun , Neossi, N.M Hôpital Régional de Ngaoundéré - Service de Radiologie, Cameroun , Mbo, A.J Hôpital Régional de Ngaoundéré - Service de Radiologie, Cameroun , Chichom Mefire, A Hôpital Régional annexe de Limbé - Service de chirurgie, Cameroun , Eloundou, N.J. Université de Yaoundé I - Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences Biomédicales - Département de Chirurgie, Cameroun

Epidemiology and Pattern of Road Traffic Injuries in Ngaoundéré, Cameroon: a Retrospective Hospital Based Study Prior to the Implementation of a Formal Trauma Registry

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Objectives. To report the epidemiology and pattern of road traffic related injuries in a semi-urban area in the northern part of Cameroon where no such data existed before. Methods. This hospital based retrospective analysis was conducted over a period of five years in a level III institution in the Adamaoua region of Cameroon. The records of all patients received in the emergency department of Ngaoundéré hospital after a road traffic related injury were reviewed for epidemiological variables, type of vehicle involved, nature and severity of injuries, modalities of management and outcome. Results. A total of 1257 victims of road traffic injuries could be analyzed. Their ages ranged from 2 to 84 years and males were more affected than females. Almost 60% of victims were motorcycle users. Each patient sustained a mean of 1.3 lesions. The head and lower limbs were the most affected body parts. The most frequent lesions were soft tissue injuries and bone fractures, involving mostly the lower limb. Most injuries were of minor or moderate severity and the admission rate was 28%. A total of 79 patients (6.3%) were reported dead. Most of them sustained a head injury. Conclusion. The massive presence of motorcycles in the Adamaoua region seems to influence the pattern of road traffic injuries. A more comprehensive system of capturing injury cases needs to be developed in Ngaoundéré.

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road traffic injuries , trauma , Ngaoundere , Cameroon

Health Sciences an‎d Diseases

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