Characteristics and Outcome of Trauma Patients in a Mixed ICU: A Retrospective Review

Background: Trauma is a major public health challenge in Nigeria and many victims of trauma are brought to the hospital critically ill, thereby increasing the burden of critical illness in the country. Aim: To characterize the pattern of injuries, causes and outcome among trauma patients admitted into the general ICU of a tertiary care hospital in north-central Nigeria. Materials and Methods: All trauma admissions into the ICU of Jos University Teaching Hospital over a 14-year period were retrospectively reviewed. Information obtained included the patients’ demographics, diagnosis, aetiology, complications, interventions, outcome and length of stay in the ICU. Results: Trauma admission during the period was 396 which was 29.66% of total ICU admissions in the same period. The male:female ratio was 3:1 and the age range was 2 months to 75 years (median 25 years). 78.54% of trauma admissions were from the accident and emergency, 15.66% from the theatre and 5.80% from the ward. The most common cause of injury was burn 160 (40.40%), followed by road traffic crashes 152 (38.38%) and the least common cause of injury was gunshot 28 (7.07%). Mortality rate among trauma patients was 48.74% while mortality in the ICU within the same period was 34.08%. Burns accounted for 50.78% of deaths while head injury accounted for 33.68% of deaths. Mortality was higher in the age groups 16-30 years and greater than 45 years (p = 0.03). Conclusion: Trauma constitutes a significant cause of admission into our general ICU and mortality in these patients is higher than in the general population of ICU patients. Establishing trauma ICU would lead to streamlining of facilities which could improve outcome.