A Two-Year Prospective Study of the Mechanisms and Patterns of Limb Injury in Multiply Injured Patients at UNIOSUN Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, Nigeria.

Abstract

Background: Multiple injured patients are patients who sustained injury to more than one system in the body, while a polytraumatized patient is the one who sustained injury to two or more regions of a system in the body. Better patient outcomes and effective management depend on an understanding of the patterns and characteristics of limb injuries in the multiply injured individuals. This is especially important in places with little resources, like Southwestern Nigeria, where trauma is common and it's important to make the best use of the few available medical resources. Therefore, the aim of this research is to determine the common aetiology that led to various limb injuries in the multiple injured patients at UNIOSUN Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, Osun state.

Methodology: A prospective observational design was employed, involving multiple injured patients admitted to UNIOSUN Teaching Hospital from May 1st, 2022 to April 30th, 2024. Data collection includes demographic information, aetiology of the injury and type of injury sustained. SPSS Version 20 was employed to determine the frequency and distribution of data. Descriptive analysis revealed demographic characteristics, patterns of limb injury, highlighting the common causes, prevalence of different types of limb injuries, distribution of affected limbs and sides in the multiply injured patients.

Result: The study found a higher representation of males in road traffic accidents, with a diverse age group. Most participants were passengers or pedestrians, with 71.4% of injuries being closed. Most participants did not use seat belts and were not seated.

Conclusion: This study demonstrated that limb injuries from road traffic accidents predominantly affected young adult males, with motorcycle crashes being the leading cause. Fractures, especially of the lower limbs, were the most common injury types, and surgical intervention was frequently required. These findings show the significant burden of limb trauma managed at UNIOSUN Teaching Hospital and emphasize the demographic and clinical patterns associated with such injuries.