Scientific Publication

Emergency department care for trauma patients in settings of active conflict versus urban violence: all of the same calibre?

author(s) Vallesa, Pola. - Van den Bergh, R. - van den Boogaard, W. - Tayler-Smith, K. - Gayraud, O. - Mammozaid, B.A. - Nasimd, M. - Cherestalc, S. - Majustec, A. - Charles, J.P. - Trellesa, M.
from UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO)
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themes
regions
  • Northern Europe
  • Europe
  • World
  • Caribbean
  • Latin America and the Caribbean
  • Americas
  • Southern Asia
  • Asia
citation

Pola Vallesa, Rafael Van den Bergh, Wilma van den Boogaard, Katherine Tayler-Smith, Olivia Gayraud, Bashir Ahmad Mammozaid, Masood Nasimd, Sophia Cheréstalc, Alberta Majustec, James Philippe Charles, Miguel Trellesa (2016) Emergency department care for trauma patients in settings of active conflict versus urban violence: all of the same calibre? International Health 2016; 8: 390–397 doi:10.1093/inthealth/ihw035

Publications and datasets provided via GARDIAN

Abstract

Background Trauma is a leading cause of death and represents a major problem in developing countries where access to good quality emergency care is limited. Médecins Sans Frontières delivered a standard package of care in 2 trauma emergency departments (EDs) in different violence settings: Kunduz, Afghanistan, and Tabarre, Haiti. This study aims to assess whether this standard package resulted in similar performance in these very different contexts. Methods A cross-sectional study using routine programme data, comparing patient characteristics and outcomes in 2 EDs over the course of 2014. Results 31 158 patients presented to the EDs: 22 076 in Kunduz and 9082 in Tabarre. Patient characteristics, such as delay in presentation (29.6% over 24 h in Kunduz, compared to 8.4% in Tabarre), triage score, and morbidity pattern differed significantly between settings. Nevertheless, both EDs showed an excellent performance, demonstrating low proportions of mortality (0.1% for both settings) and left without being seen (1.3% for both settings), and acceptable triage performance. Physicians’ maximum working capacity was exceeded in both centres, and mainly during rush hours. Conclusions This study supports for the first time the plausibility of using the same ED package in different settings. Mapping of patient attendance is essential for planning of human resources needs. This research was supported by the UK Department for International Development’s Operational Research Capacity Building Programme led by the International Union Against TB and Lung Disease (The Union)

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