title: Causes of injuries resulting in a visit to the emergency department of a Provincial General Hospital, Nyanza, western Kenya.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is increasing importance of trauma not only as a major cause of surgical admissions, but also a significant cause of morbidity, mortality and disability.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To document injury-related visits and hospitalization in a provincial hospital, western Kenya.
  
  
  METHODS
  On-site review of records of all patients who visited emergency department (ED) from January 2002 through December 2003, and admissions of year 2003.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 15365 patients visited the ED, of which 41% (6319/15395) were injury cases. The leading causes of injury were assault (42%), road traffic crashes (RTC) (28%), unspecified soft tissue injury (STI) (11%). Cut-wounds, dog-bites, falls, burns and poisoning were infrequently reported (each <10%). The age group 15-44 years formed the largest proportion (75%). A total of 3253 patients were admitted in 2003, of which 1010 (31%) were due to injuries. RTC were leading cause of hospitalization (49%) followed by assault (16%). Men were more likely to be hospitalized due to assault (OR=2.22; CI = 1.45 - 3.41) and not burns or poisoning (p<0.01). There were 64 (6.3%) injury-related deaths, mainly resulting from RTC (41.9%), burns (19.4%) and assault (16.1%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study provides considerable information on major causes of injuries, useful for epidemiological surveillance and injury prevention campaigns.
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health & Community Development, Maseno University, Kisumu, Kenya.
authors.forename: J O K
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Ogendi
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Ayisi
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006745:Hospital Bed Capacity, 300 to 499; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006769:Hospitals, General; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007630:Kenya / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009017:Morbidity; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017678:Sex Distribution; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D055815:Young Adult