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BACKGROUND: Motorcycle-related injuries lead to considerable morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study is to determine the pattern and outcome of motorcycle-related injuries at Benue State University Teaching Hospital, Makurdi, Nigeria. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Case records of all patients who presented to the accident and emergency department with motorcycle-related injuries between July 2012 and June 2013 were analysed for age, gender, injury host status (i.e. rider, pillion or pedestrian), nature of collision (motorcycle versus other vehicles, motorcycle versus motorcycle, motorcycle versus pedestrian or lone riders), body region injured, injury severity score (ISS) at arrival, length of hospital stay (LOS) and mortality. RESULTS: Seventy - nine patients with motorcycle-related injuries were included in the study. They consisted of 63 males (61.8%) and 16 females (15.7%). The age range was 5-65 years with a mean of 32.4 ± 14.0. Motorcycle versus vehicle collisions were the most common mechanism of injury (n = 46, 58.2%). Musculoskeletal injuries constituted the most common injuries sustained (n = 50, 47.6%) and the tibia was the most frequently fractured bone (n = 14, 35.9%). The majority of patients (57.0%) sustained mild/moderate injuries (ISS ≤ 15). There was no statistically significant difference between the sexes for sustaining mild/moderate injuries or severe/profound injuries (P > 0.05). Mortality rate was 6.3% with head injuries being involved in all cases. CONCLUSION: Young males were mostly injured in motorcycle-related trauma. Musculoskeletal injuries were the most common injuries sustained and head injuries were involved in all the deaths. Enforcement of motorcycle crash bars and helmet usage is recommended. Language: en

Intentional injuries are a common presentation to Accident and Emergency (A&E) Departments and make a significant contribution to theglobal injury burden. This descriptive study aims to determine the pattern and treatment outcome of intentional injuries presenting to the A&E Department of Benue State University Teaching Hospital, Makurdi, Nigeria (BSUTH). Case records of all patients who presented to the A&E Department between July 2012 and December 2013 were analyzed for age, gender, circumstance surrounding injury, weapon used, body region injured, injury sustained, treatment offered, and outcome of treatment. Sixty patients with intentional injuries were included in the study. They consisted of 50 males (83.3%) and 10 females (16.7%) with ages ranging from 15 to 65 years with a modal age group of 20-29 years. The extremities were the most predominantly injured body regions (n=26, 43.3%) and firearms were the most common weapons employed (n=31, 51.7%). While armed robbery (n=31, 51.7%) was the most common reason for the injuries, attempted suicide (n=2, 3.3%) was the least.Soft tissue injuries and debridement were the most common injury type and treatment modality encountered respectively.The death rate was 8.3% with majority of deaths (80%) resulting from firearm injuries. Keywords: Intentional injury, violence, Accident and Emergency, Nigeria

BACKGROUND: Trauma leads to considerable morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study is to elucidate the pattern and characteristics of trauma at Benue State University Teaching Hospital (BSUTH), Makurdi, Nigeria. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Case records of all patients who presented to the Accident and Emergency (A and E) Department with trauma between January and December 2013 were analyzed for demographic data, types of injuries sustained, causes and circumstances of injuries, as well as outcome of treatment were extracted from the case files and entered onto a computerized questionnaire. Data were analyzed using the software Statistical Package for Social Sciences for Windows version 15.0 (SPSS Inc; Chicago, Illinois). RESULTS: A total of 250 traumatized patients were studied consisting of 203 (81.2%) males and 47 (18.8%) females with a modal age group of 21-30 years. Unintentional injuries were the most predominant form of trauma (n = 209, 83.6%) with road traffic accidents being the leading cause (n = 180, 72.0%). Open wounds (n = 95, 28.2%) were the most common form of injury sustained and the extremities (n = 148, 43.5%), the most frequently injured body region. Most patients (n = 133, 53.2%) were treated and discharged home without permanent disabilities, while death occurred in 15.2%. CONCLUSION: Trauma in Makurdi is a predominantly young adult male occurrence with road traffic accidents being the leading etiological factor. Reducing road traffic accidents will likely reduce mortality and morbidity due to trauma. Language: en