title: INJURY EXPERIENCE IN TANZANIA - NEED FOR INTERVENTION.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine distribution of injuries and factors associated with mortality in six hospitals of Tanzania mainland.
  
  
  METHODS
  A Cross-Sectional hospital based study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were collected from casualty departments of Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute, Morogoro, Mtwara, Kigoma, Musoma regional hospitals and Korogwe district hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients who sustained injuries and attended in six involved hospitals between November 2011 and December 2012.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 9316 injury patients seen, 71.7% were males. Majority (55%) were between 18 - 45 years age group. Traffic crashes were the leading cause of injuries and accounted for 47.5% of all injuries. Fractures accounted for 49.2%, and injuries were severe in 1.2% as determinedby the Kampala trauma score II (KTS II). Majorities 66.7% were admitted and 2.4% died at the casualty. Factors associated with mortality were; being unemployed (P = 0.000), using ambulances to the hospital (P = 0.000), receiving medical attention within 2 to 10 hours after injury (P = 0.001), road traffic crashes (P = 0.000), 18-45 years age group (P = 0.003), low KTS II score (P = 0.000) and sustaining head injury (P = 0.000).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Injuries in Tanzania are an important public health problem, predominantly in adult males, mostly due to traffic crashes. It is therefore important to reinforce preventive measures and pre-hospital emergency service is urgently needed.
authors: Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute (MOI), Injury Control Centre Tanzania (ICCT), Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS), Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania.
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Boniface
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Museru
authors: V
authors: V
authors: Munthali
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Lett
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000401:mortality / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000401:mortality / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020380:Needs Assessment; D013636:Tanzania; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D055815:Young Adult