title: A Prospective Study of Blunt Abdominal Trauma at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Nigeria.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Blunt abdominal trauma (BAT) usually results from motor vehicle accidents, assaults, and recreational accidents or falls. This communication is a 3-year report of an ongoing study aimed at providing the current BAT prevalence in our center. It is hoped that this would assist in a better design of prevention and emergency trauma response systems to cope with this epidemic.
  
  
  METHODS
  All of the patients admitted to the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH), Calabar, Nigeria, from February 2005 to January 2008 were prospectively studied based on a questionnaire. Hemodynamic stability and sonography formed the basis for selecting patients for non-operative management (NOM); others were offered laparotomy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In total, 4,391 emergencies were seen during the study period, of which 1,654 (38%) were due to trauma. Seventy-nine patients with abdominal trauma accounted for 4.8% of trauma cases. Forty-two (53%) patients suffered BAT and their ages ranged from 14 and 56 years (mean 28.4 years), with a male:female ratio of 2.5:1. Road traffic accidents accounted for 13 (87%) and 26 (96%) patients in the NOM and laparotomy groups, respectively. The most commonly injured organ was the spleen in both groups: 8 (50%) and 15 (56%) in the NOM and laparotomy groups, respectively. Fifteen (36%) patients were managed successfully in the NOM group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Trauma was mainly due to road traffic injuries. Hemodynamic stability and ultrasonography effectively selected patients for NOM. The establishment of trauma systems, provision of ancillary diagnostic and monitoring facilities, well-designed roads and traffic infrastructure, and health education on road safety would reduce injury, morbidity, and mortality.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar, Nigeria. mauefas@yahoo.com.|Department of Surgery, University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, 1891, Calabar, Nigeria. mauefas@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Maurice E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Asuquo
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Anietimfon U
authors.initials: AU
authors.lastname: Etiuma
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Okon O
authors.initials: OO
authors.lastname: Bassey
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Gabriel
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ugare
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Ogbu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ngim
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Cyril
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Agbor
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Anthonia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ikpeme
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Medicine, University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Wilfred
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ndifon
keywords: Blunt abdominal trauma; Non-operative management
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