Understanding injury-related burdens is an essential part of trauma
quality improvement programs aimed at decreasing morbidity and
mortality. This is especially the case in low and middle-income country
settings where data on injuries remains limited. The aim of this study
was to audit the types of head and neck injuries, which have been
diagnosed among patients admitted to a major national hospital in the
context of a rapidly growing sub Saharan city. Data were collected
retrospectively for head and neck trauma from the Muhimbili National
Hospital (MNH) in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania from the years 2016 and 2017.
Distribution of ICD-10 codes by age and sex for the five most common
diagnoses were determined using frequencies and percentages. The most
common diagnosis was ICD-10-S02 (fracture of skull and facial bones)
with 277 cases (44.1%), which was followed by S05 (injury of the eye and
orbit), 114 cases (18.2%), and S09 (other and unspecified injuries of
head) 77 cases (12.3%). The mean ages of admission for these three
diagnoses were 28.1 (SD: 11.6), 23.8 (SD: 18.9), and 30.8 (SD: 18.0)
years, respectively. This study provides information on the overall
burden of head and neck trauma at a major regional tertiary care
facility. It provides an initial understanding of the burden of head and
neck trauma and suggests follow-up in the form of clarification of
injury mechanisms and contextual factors for future work.