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. 2016 Dec;9(1):21.
doi: 10.1186/s12245-016-0120-9. Epub 2016 Jul 18.

Usefulness of hospital emergency department records to explore access to injury care in Nepal

Santosh Bhatta  1 , Puspa Raj Pant  2 , Julie Mytton  2
Affiliations

Usefulness of hospital emergency department records to explore access to injury care in Nepal

Santosh Bhatta et al. Int J Emerg Med. 2016 Dec.

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.

Keywords: Emergency department; Hospital records; Nepal; Unintentional injury.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Map of Nepal showing Makwanpur and Hetauda. Source: Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) Report Sanitation and Sewerage Work Sub-Project [16]
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Rate of injury visits to Hetauda hospital by age and gender
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Distribution of injury attendances at Hetauda hospital by ethnic group compared to the distribution of ethnic groups in the total population. Total population: n = 392,604 (source: district profile of Makwanpur district) [14]. ED patients: n = 4755. Note: There are over 75 ethnic/cast groups in Makwanpur district. Data for ethnic group categories is taken from the district profile of Makwanpur district (2062 BS). The “other indigenuous” category includes people from the Majhi, Kumal, Danuwar, Sherpa and Chaudhari communities. The “the other ethnicities” category includes all other ethnic/castes
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References

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