title: Usefulness of hospital emergency department records to explore access to injury care in Nepal.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Injuries are a major public health problem worldwide. Despite increasing morbidity and mortality from injuries in Nepal, it is not recognised in the government's policy and programmes and few population-based studies have been published. This study describes the usefulness of hospital emergency department records to explore access to injury care in Nepal.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective ED-based study was conducted at a governmental hospital in Nepal to review the routinely collected data for 1 year (1 January 2010 to 31 December 2010). The study was designed to provide cross-sectional data to describe the distribution of injuries by age, gender, ethnic group and injury mechanism.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Results showed that twice as many males as females attended the emergency department (14.6 vs. 7.0 per 1000), attendance varied by age with most (39.8 %) attendances in young adults of working age and over half of attendances were from just two ethnic groups (Brahmin (26 %) and Tamang (25.5 %). Road traffic injuries were the most common cause of injury (37.6 %).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study therefore showed the feasibility of using routinely collected hospital emergency department data to monitor injury inequalities in Nepal.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Child and Adolescent Health, University of the West of England, Bristol, UK. santosh2.bhatta@live.uwe.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Santosh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bhatta
authors.affiliation: Centre for Child and Adolescent Health, University of the West of England, Bristol, UK.
authors.forename: Puspa Raj
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Pant
authors.affiliation: Centre for Child and Adolescent Health, University of the West of England, Bristol, UK.
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mytton
keywords: Emergency department; Hospital records; Nepal; Unintentional injury