Table 2 Demographic and clinical data of the study population
n | 1267 |
Age (years) | 34 (18–53) |
Male gender (n/%) | 690 (54.4) |
Diagnostic categories (n/%) | |
Trauma | 325 (25.7) |
Surgical (non-trauma) | 245 (19.3) |
Medical | 226 (17.8) |
Neurological | 120 (9.5) |
Infection | 80 (6.3) |
Obstetrical | 17 (1.3) |
Other | 254 (20) |
Modified Early Warning Score (pts) | 3 (2–5) |
South African Trauma Score (pts) | 1 (1–2) |
Need for emergency surgery (n/%) | 132 (10.4) |
Transfer to level II hospital (n/%) | 530 (41.8) |
Reason for not transferring (n/%) | |
Condition manageable at primary level hospital | 657 (89.1) |
Physician at secondary level hospital discouraged transfer | 26 (3.5) |
Patient too unstable | 23 (3.1) |
Transport not possible | 21 (2.8) |
Family disagreed | 10 (1.4) |
Length of hospital stay (days) | 5 (1–8) |
Hospital mortality (n/%) | 41 (3.2) |
Cause of death (n/%) | |
Respiratory failure | 12 (29.3) |
Shock | 11 (26.8) |
Coma | 8 (19.5) |
Multiple organ dysfunction | 8 (19.5) |
Not given | 2 (4.9) |