Emergency admissions in sub Saharan Africa: example of the surgical emergency admissions unit at the Sylvanus Olympio Teaching Hospital of Lomé, Togo.

The management of patients in emergency departments is an important indicator of the quality of a healthcare system. In sub-Saharan Africa, emergency care is characterized by human and material difficulties. The purpose of this work was to assess the difficulties in managing emergencies at the surgical emergency admissions unit of Sylvanus Olympio teaching hospital of Lomé. This descriptive prospective study took place during the last 6 months of 2013. Epidemiological, clinical, and therapeutic data were collected. All admissions for acute conditions requiring urgent care were included. The study excluded patients who died at admission and patients receiving care in the medical emergency department. The study included 2880 patients, 60.3% men; the mean age was 46 years (range: 4 days to 92 years). Traffic accidents accounted for 519 cases (18%). Among patients with trauma, 23.7% had limb injuries and 17.2% head injury. Appendicitis accounted for 32.9% of the non-trauma emergencies, followed by peritonitis (27.3%), burns represented 1%. Laboratory tests were performed for 49.4% of patients, ultrasound for 14.2%, and computed tomography scans for 0.8%. Overall, 44.1% received venous catheterization, 40% volume replacement, 20% oxygen therapy, 16% blood products, 2% pressor amines, and 0.1% intubation. Analgesia was administered to 82%, antibiotic treatment (37%), and sedation to 1%. In all, 34.8% of patients underwent laparotomy, 26.6% trimming with sutures, 21.4% dressing of wounds, and 14.5% immobilization. Time to discharge was less than 24 hours for 82%, and 6.2% were transferred to intensive care. Eighteen patients died (0.6%). Management of surgical emergencies remains a major health problem in developing countries. Prevention measures and accessibility of the population to emergency care will reduce morbidity and mortality for these conditions.

Clinical profile of subdural hematomas: dangerousness of subdural subacute hematoma.

Subacute subdural hematomas are a poorly individualized nosological entity, often equated clinically to chronic subdural hematomas. Yet, their neurological deterioration which is usually rapid seems to distinguish them from chronic subdural hematomas. We wanted to show this dangerousness by establishing the clinically evolving profile of the three types of subdural hematomas. This was a prospective and retrospective study of 63 subdural hematoma (18 acute, 13 subacute, and 32 chronic) patients admitted between 2012 and 2014 in the neurosurgery unit of Lomé University Hospital. Hematomas were classified according to the elapsed time after head injury and blood density on CT. The main parameter studied was the evolution of the Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) in the 3 months following the trauma, enabling to establish an evolving profile of each type of hematoma. The average age of patients was 58.1 years for chronic subdural hematomas and 47.6 years for subacute subdural hematomas. Disease duration before admission was 13.1 days for chronic against 36.6 h for subacute hematoma. The clinical profile shows acute worsening within hours during the second week for patients with subacute hematoma, while it is progressive for patients with chronic hematoma. We noted two deaths, all victims of a subacute hematoma (one operated, one patient waiting for surgery). Iso-density hematoma on CT, especially in a young person, must be considered as a predictive factor of rapid neurological aggravation suggesting an urgent care or increased monitoring by paramedics.