Background: Trauma is a leading cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide, with a disproportionate burden on low- and middle-income countries like Nigeria. Understanding the specific patterns of trauma deaths is crucial for developing targeted interventions. This study aimed to review the socio-demographic and clinico-epidemiological characteristics of trauma deaths in the Accident and Emergency (A only 2.9% (n=3) of patients arrived by ambulance. Major challenges encountered during management included patient financial constraints (19.5%) and the non-availability of hospital resources (17.8%). Most deaths, 78.5% (n=93), occurred within 24 hours of arrival. Conclusion: Trauma-related mortality at this Nigerian tertiary center is primarily driven by RTAs affecting young males, with head injuries being the leading cause of death. The findings highlight critical systemic failures, including a near-total absence of formal emergency medical services and significant in-hospital resource limitations. There is an urgent need for policy interventions focused on road safety, establishment of a structured pre-hospital care system, and strengthening of hospital emergency services to reduce preventable trauma deaths.
Umezurike et al. (Wed,) studied this question.