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. 2021 Aug 19;16(8):e0254245.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0254245. eCollection 2021.

Incidence and predictors of mortality among patients with head injury admitted to Hawassa University Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Southern Ethiopia: A retrospective follow-up study

Desalegn Dawit Assele  1 , Tigabu Addisu Lendado  2 , Merid Assefa Awato  2 , Shimelash Bitew Workie  3 , Wolde Facha Faltamo  3
Affiliations

Incidence and predictors of mortality among patients with head injury admitted to Hawassa University Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Southern Ethiopia: A retrospective follow-up study

Desalegn Dawit Assele et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

Introduction: Head injury is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality throughout the world, especially in resource-limited countries including Ethiopia. However, little is known about the mortality rate and its predictors among these patients in Ethiopia. Thus, the study aims to assess the incidence rate of mortality and its predictors among patients with head injury admitted at Hawassa University Comprehensive Specialized Hospital.

Methods: Institutional based retrospective follow-up study was conducted among 1220 randomly selected head injury patients admitted from July 2017 to July 2019. Bivariable and multivariable Cox regression models were fitted to identify the predictors of mortality. Proportionality assumption was tested by a global test based on the Schoenfeld residuals test.

Results: The incidence of the mortality rate was 2.26 (95%CI: 1.9-2.6) per 100-person day observation. The independent predictors of time to death were age above 65 years (AHR:3.49, 95%CI:1.63, 7.48), severe TBI (AHR: 8.8, 95%CI:5.13, 15.0), moderate TBI (AHR:3, 95%CI:1.73,5.31), hypotension (AHR:1.72, 95%CI: 1.11,2.66), hypoxia (AHR:1.92, 95%CI: 1.33,2.76), hyperthermia (AHR:1.8, 95%CI: 1.23,2.63) and hypoglycemic (AHR:1.94, 95%CI: 1.34, 2.81) positively associated with mortality, while underwent neurosurgery was negatively associated with mortality (AHR: 0.25, 95% CI: 0.11,0.53).

Conclusion: The incidence of mortality rate among head injury patients was high. Older age, moderate and severe TBI, hypotension and hypoxia at admission, neurosurgical procedure, and the episode of hyperthermia and hypoglycemia during hospitalization were the independent predictors of mortality among head injury patients. Therefore, intervention to reduce earlier deaths should focus on the prevention of secondary brain insults.

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Conflict of interest statement

No authors have competing interests.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. Overall Kaplan-Meier estimation of their survival of admitted head injury patients in HUCSH, Hawassa, Southern Ethiopia; from July 2017 to July 2019.
Fig 2
Fig 2. Kaplan-Meier survival estimate for initial GCS among head injury admitted to HUCSH, Hawassa, Southern Ethiopia; from July 2017 to July 2019.
Fig 3
Fig 3. Kaplan-Meier survival estimate for neurosurgery among head injury admitted to HUCSH, Hawassa, Southern Ethiopia; from July 2017 to July 2019.
Fig 4
Fig 4. Nelson-Aalen cumulative hazard graph against Cox-Snell residual on head injury patients at HUCSH, 2020.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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