Trends in head injury associated mortality in Malawi.

BACKGROUND: To address the problem of surgical workforce deficiencies in Malawi, we partnered with local institutions to establish a surgical residency-training and educational program for local surgeons in 2009. While this program has improved trauma-associated outcomes, it is unclear whether, without additional system improvements, the management of traumatic brain injury (TBI) has similarly advanced. This study sought to describe trends of TBI-associated in-hospital trauma mortality at a tertiary trauma center in sub-Saharan Africa. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis of all patients recorded in the Kamuzu Central Hospital trauma surveillance registry in Lilongwe, Malawi, from 2012 through 2017. Modified Poisson regression modeling was used to compare the risk ratio of TBI associated in-hospital death each year compared to the year 2012, after adjusting for relevant covariates. RESULTS: 87,295 patients were recorded into the KCH Trauma Registry. 3,393 patients with TBI were identified, and most TBI patients were young males. In 2013 (RR 0.66, 95% CI 0.48, 0.92) and 2014 (RR 0.57, 95% CI 0.41, 0.79), the adjusted risk ratio of in-hospital death decreased compared to 2012 when adjusted for age, sex, initial AVPU score, transfer status, and multisystem trauma. However, the adjusted risk ratio of mortality in 2015 (0.73, 95% CI 0.53, 1.02) plateaued, with relatively minor improvements in 2016 (0.72, 95% CI 0.54, 0.97) and 2017 (0.71, 95% CI 0.53, 0.96). CONCLUSIONS: A decrease in TBI associated mortality was associated with the establishment of a residency and educational training program for general surgery. This program increased available surgeons, improved critical care and trauma training, and integrated some neurosurgical training. However, improvements in outcomes plateaued in the last few years of the study, despite these enhancements to surgical care. The general surgery workforce must be supplemented with improved neurosurgical services and neurocritical care to decrease TBI-related mortality.

Survival and Functional Outcomes at Discharge After Traumatic Brain Injury in Children versus Adults in Resource-Poor Setting.

BACKGROUND: More than 90% of trauma mortality occurs in low- and middle-income countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. Head injury is the primary driver of trauma mortality in the prehospital and in-hospital setting. METHODS: An observational study was performed on patients presenting with traumatic brain injury (TBI) from October 2016 through May 2017 at Kamuzu Central Hospital, Malawi. Bivariate analysis and logistic regression were performed to determine the odds of favorable functional outcomes and mortality after controlling for significant covariates. RESULTS: Of the 356 patients with TBI, 72 (20.2%) were children <18 years of age. Males comprised 202 (87.1%) and 46 (63.9%) of the adult and pediatric cohorts, respectively. Motor vehicle crash was the leading etiology in adults and children. There was no significant difference between adult and pediatric Glasgow Coma Scale score on admission, 10.8 ± 3.9 versus 10.9 ± 3.5, respectively (P = 0.8). More adult (n = 76, 32.3%) than pediatric (n = 13, 18.1%) patients died. On multivariable analysis, pediatric patients were more likely to have a favorable outcome defined by a Glasgow Outcome Scale of good recovery or moderate disability (odds ratio 3.70, 95% confidence interval 1.22-11.17, P = 0.02) and were less likely to die after TBI (odds ratio 0.29, 95% confidence interval 0.09-0.93, P = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: We show a survival advantage and better functional outcomes in children following TBI. This may be attributable to increased resiliency to TBI in children or the prioritization of children in a resource-poor environment. Investments in neurosurgical care following TBI are needed to improve outcomes.