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VOLUME 7 , ISSUE 2 ( May-August, 2018 ) > List of Articles

RESEARCH ARTICLE

Trauma Surveillance and Epidemiology in Haiti: A Pilot Study

Martha-Conley Ingram, Chelsea McCullough, Vincent de Gennaro, Henri Ford, Christopher Dente, Georges Dubuche, John Sweeney, Jahnavi Srinivasan

Keywords : Haiti, Pilot, Registry, Surveillance, Trauma

Citation Information : Ingram M, McCullough C, Gennaro VD, Ford H, Dente C, Dubuche G, Sweeney J, Srinivasan J. Trauma Surveillance and Epidemiology in Haiti: A Pilot Study. Panam J Trauma Crit Care Emerg Surg 2018; 7 (2):123-132.

DOI: 10.5005/jp-journals-10030-1215

License: CC BY-NC 4.0

Published Online: 01-04-2007

Copyright Statement:  Copyright © 2018; The Author(s).


Abstract

Introduction: Trauma remains a leading cause of mortality worldwide, with eighty-nine percent of deaths occurring in lowto- middle-income countries (LMIC). In Haiti, the mortality rate due to injuries is estimated to be twice the rate of the United States. Currently, no standardization of reporting trauma statistics exists in Haiti. The purpose of this project was to pilot a trauma surveillance logbook at four hospitals in four different regions of the country. Methods: A 17-item registry logbook was developed. Training for emergency department (ED) staff was performed on an iPad for 8-10 minutes. Data collection took place prospectively over four weeks. After this period, the logbook was compared to ED registries, and data was collected retrospectively for unrecorded, qualifying patients. Results: Eleven to sixty-nine patients were included in data analysis. The average age of patients was 27.3 years (range 0.25–87) and 68.1% were male. The majority of injuries were seen in patients ages 15–29. The highest number of patients presented on Fridays, and the highest volume of patients per hour occurred in the afternoon nursing shift (1 to 7 pm or 2 to 8 pm). The majority of patients arrived alert (94.7%), within four hours of their injury (77.9%), and by motorcycle (35%). The three most common mechanisms of injury were traffic accident (37.7%), fall (17.0%) or knife/cut wound (12.6%). The upper extremity (33.6%), lower extremity (30.8%) and the head/neck (26.7%) were the most commonly injured body regions. Treatments received in the ED are presented for 90.1% patients with the majority receiving minor and medical treatment (46.9%), and discharge status was recorded for 1009 (86.3%) patients, with 54.9% simply being treated and discharged. Discussion: Trauma and injury surveillance has become a national priority in Haiti. This study represents an initial attempt to qualify the burden of trauma-related disease in the country to make data-informed decisions regarding resource allocation and injury prevention programs.

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