Management of a road traffic accident poly-trauma patient in a limited regional resource hospital setting in Tanzania: Review of literature and case report.

Abstract

Poly-trauma is among the top ten leading causes of mortality and morbidity in developing countries. Road traffic injuries are the major cause of mortality in the overall burden of deaths related to injuries. The aim of this publication is to show how important are the principles of management in saving life even in austere limited resource settings. We herein present a case of a 17-year-old male who presented to our emergency department about an hour after being involved in motor traffic accident in a semiconscious state, in hypovolemic shock and sustained multiple injuries. He had multiple limb and ribs fractures and blunt abdominal injury. He was rushed to the hospital where he was resuscitated at the emergency department and admitted in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). He was scheduled for surgery the following day. His post-operative recovery was uneventful and was discharged after one month. The scarce resources and efforts spent on these patients prove to be futile in many situations because of delayed admission, lack of proper pre-hospital care and associated complications which cause irreversible damage. Management of a Poly-trauma patient should start from the scene of accident, during transportation and finally in the hospital by following all the principles of poly-trauma management using a multi-disciplinary approach. Timely diagnosis and proper management of a Poly-trauma patient can save life even in limited resource Centers.