Profile of Patients Receiving Computed Tomography Scans for Mild Traumatic Brain Injury in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Ethiopia

Abstract

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading contributor to emergency department (ED) mortalities in Ethiopia. Mild TBI patients comprise half of all TBI patients presenting for care in Ethiopia and have a high potential for recovery. As such, context-specific care-improving strategies may be highly impactful for this group of patients. This study examines the presentation and disposition of mTBI patients who received a computed tomography scan of the head (CTH) upon arrival at the largest teaching hospital in Ethiopia. A retrospective cohort study was conducted from 2018-2021 including patients >13 years old with a head injury and a Glasgow Coma Score of 13-15 who obtained a computed tomography scan of the head (CTH). Variables were collected from medical charts and single and multi-variable analyses assessed outcomes of clinically important TBI (ciTBI) requiring a neurosurgical procedure or admission. A total of 193 patients were included. They were predominantly young men with no comorbidities, injured in road traffic accidents or by assault, had stable vital signs and were treated in lower-acuity ED areas. A minority demonstrated focal deficits, and 29.5% of patients had ciTBI. Most patients were discharged from the ED, but 13% were taken for operative neurosurgical procedures and 10.4% were admitted to the neurosurgery ward for observation. ED stays ranged from 8 hours to 10 days, as patients waited for CT availability, neurosurgical decision, or transportation. Female sex was independently protective of ciTBI. Self-referral status was independently protective against operative intervention. Female sex and self-referral status were independently protective of a disposition of admission and/or going to the operating room. This study characterizes the mTBI subgroup of head injury patients in Ethiopia's busiest ED: predominantly healthy young men with low-acuity presentations and only a fraction with abnormal neurological examinations. Nonetheless, about one-third had clinically important TBI and a minority were taken for neurosurgical procedures or admission, with female sex and self-referral identified as protective factors. Meanwhile, many patients stayed in the ED for days due to social or other non-medical reasons. As TBI care in Ethiopia continues to improve, optimizing care for the mTBI subgroup is tantamount given their high recovery potential. This care will benefit from efficiently identifying those who need intervention or hospital level of care, and discharging those who do not.