Medical Student Campbell University School of Osteopathic Medicine Cary, North Carolina, United States
Introduction: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major contributor to the global burden of disease, however, low- and middle-income countries, such as those in Africa, tend to be more affected. Pediatric TBI, specifically, is a major cause for concern as injuries to the developing brain have been shown to lead to cognitive, psychosocial, and motor problems in adulthood. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the trends in pediatric TBI in Africa reported in the literature.
Methods: A literature search was conducted using PubMed, Global Medicus Index, Embase, Scopus, Google Scholar, AJOL, and Web of Science. Various combinations of “traumatic brain injury”, “head injury’, “p(a)ediatric”, “africa” and country names were used. Variables included age, gender, TBI severity, TBI cause, imaging findings, treatment, and outcomes.
Results: After screening, 51 articles comprising 25,010 patients were included. The average age was 6.7 ± 5.8 years with 67.5% males. Mild, moderate, and severe TBI was reported in 12,696, 3,930, and 1,984 patients, respectively. Road traffic accidents (RTA) were the largest cause of pediatric TBI (56.73%) , followed by falls (21.64%). The top three reported imaging findings were skull fractures (25.97%), intracerebral contusion (16.47%), and cerebral edema (11.63%). Common symptoms included loss of consciousness (24.24%) and motor deficits/symptoms (16.97%). Surgical treatment was used in 27.73% of patients and craniotomy was the most common procedure (34.78%). Nosocomial infection was the most common complication (31.44%). Good recovery (GOSE 7-8) was reported in 44.95% of patients and the mortality rate was 10.10%.
Conclusion : With an estimated increase in the prevalence of TBI in Africa, more efforts should be made to enact infrastructure and healthcare protocols aimed at reducing the incidence of preventable causes of pediatric TBI, as well as to reduce nosocomial complications in order to improve mortality rates.
