Head Injuries at the Emergency Department of a University Hospital

Abstract

Introduction Traumatic head injuries constitute a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The developing world is particularly affected due to a high prevalence of risk factors and difficulties in enforcing preventive efforts. This study was carried out at the Emergency Department (ED), Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH), Kathmandu, Nepal – where head injuries account for five per cent of all emergency visits. The aim was to describe demographics, cause of trauma, type of injury, and severity according to the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), as well as the outcome of emergency attendance in patients seeking medical care for traumatic head injuries. Auxiliary aims were to study correlations between age, cause of trauma and injury severity.