Review of a large trauma registry in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: insights into prehospital care and provider training for trauma quality improvement

Abstract

Background: Injury is a major cause of death and disability in Ethiopia. ALERT Hospital, one of only three designated trauma centers in the country, has employed a basic trauma registry since its inception in 2016; however, these data had not been used. In joint efforts with the Federal Ministry of Health, we aimed to understand patient injury characteristics and predictors of mortality, to inform priorities in resource and training investments. Methods Data from 12 816 consecutive patients in the first 3 years of the trauma registry were reviewed retrospectively. Modified Early Warning Score was used at triage to indicate injury severity (red=critically injured, green=minor injury). No physiologic data for calculating Injury Severity Scores or in-hospital intervention data were available. Triage groups were compared and multivariate logistic regression conducted to determine predictors of in-emergency department (ED) mortality. Results Most patients presented with minor injuries with 64.7% triaged as 'yellow' and 16.4% triaged as 'green', and most (75.9%) referred from another facility. Of those who were critically injured, only 31.0% arrived by ambulance. Most injuries were soft tissue (51.1%) and fractures (23.0%); when stratified by triage category, most critical ('red') patients had sustained head injuries (52.7%). Arrival by ambulance (OR 2.20, p=0.017) and head injury (OR 3.11, p<0.001) were independent predictors of death in the ED. Conclusion This study of injured patients presenting to an Ethiopian trauma center is one of the largest to date, highlighting the need for more accessible and streamlined prehospital trauma care. Opportunities for improvement include staff training in initial trauma management and implementation of a more comprehensive trauma registry containing physiologic, intervention, and outcomes data to support a robust quality improvement program. Efforts by the Federal Ministry of Health are ongoing to support these improvements in care.