title: The burden of road traffic injuries in an emergency department in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
abstract: METHODS
  The emergency department (ED) of Zewditu Memorial Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To document the proportion, trend, characteristics and outcomes of road traffic injury (RTI) related ED admissions (⩾15 years) between 2014 and 2015.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective, cross-sectional study using routinely collected ED data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 10 007 ED admissions, 779 (8%) were RTI cases; this proportion peaked in the month of January (11%). Medical records were available for 522 (67%) of these RTI cases. The median age was 28 years and 69% were males. The majority were pedestrians (69%) injured by an automobile (78%). On triage, 32% were classified as needing urgent/immediate intervention. Head injuries (20%) were the second most common injury after lower limb injuries (36%). ED outcomes were as follows: discharged (68%), hospitalised (17%), referred (17%) and died (1%). Among the 78 hospitalised cases, respectively 62% and 16% were admitted to the surgical and orthopaedic departments. Of 146 RTI cases with head injuries, 25% were hospitalised, of whom 82% were admitted to the surgical department.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings can guide policy makers in referral hospitals in improving the planning of hospital resources and the prioritisation of public health needs linked to further urban development. A comprehensive plan to prevent RTIs, particularly among pedestrians in Addis Ababa, is urgently needed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Getachew
authors.affiliation: Médecins sans Frontières, Operational Centre Brussels, Medical Department, Operational Research Unit (LuxOR), Luxembourg, Luxembourg.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.affiliation: Médecins sans Frontières, Operational Centre Brussels, Medical Department, Operational Research Unit (LuxOR), Luxembourg, Luxembourg.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tayler-Smith
authors.affiliation: Partners in Health/Inshuti Mu Buzima, Butaro, Burera District, Rwanda ; Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hedt-Gauthier
authors.affiliation: National Tuberculosis Control Programme, Ministry of Health, Mbabane, Swaziland.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Silkondez
authors.affiliation: Zewditu Memorial Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Abebe
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Deressa
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Enquessilase
authors.affiliation: Médecins sans Frontières, Operational Centre Brussels, Medical Department, Operational Research Unit (LuxOR), Luxembourg, Luxembourg ; School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Edwards
keywords: Ethiopia; burden; operational research; road traffic injuries