ArticlePrehospital and disaster medicine2020
The Initial Prehospital Management of Traumatic Brain Injuries in Kigali, Rwanda.
Article in Prehospital and disaster medicine, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 5 citations in OpenAlex.
- Systematic media review: A novel method to assess mass-trauma epidemiology in absence of databases-A pilot-study in Rwanda.PloS one · 2021Pooled it
- Assessing the preparedness of hospitals for road traffic accident in Central Africa: a hospital-based cross-sectional study in Cameroon and the South Kivu province in the Democratic Republic of Congo.BMC health services research · 2026Article
- Traumatic brain injury in Sierra Leone: Epidemiological burden and the urgent case for neurosurgical investment.Brain & spine · 2026Article
- Trends in Neurotrauma Epidemiology, Management, and Outcomes during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Kigali, Rwanda.Journal of neurotrauma · 2023Article
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Authors and funding
11 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
introductionTraumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are an important cause of mortality and disability around the world. Early intervention and stabilization are necessary to obtain optimal outcomes, yet little is written on the topic in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The aim is to provide a descriptive analysis of patients with TBI treated by Service d'Aide Medicale Urgente (SAMU), the prehospital ambulance service in Kigali, Rwanda. HYPOTHESIS/PROBLEM: What is the incidence and nature of TBI seen on the ambulance in Kigali, Rwanda?
methodsA retrospective descriptive analysis was performed using SAMU records captured on an electronic database from December 2012 through May 2016. Variables included demographic information, injury characteristics, and interventional data.
resultsPatients with TBIs accounted for 18.0% (n = 2,012) of all SAMU cases. The incidence of TBIs in Kigali was 234 crashes per 100,000 people. The mean age was 30.5 (SD = 11.5) years and 81.5% (n = 1,615) were men. The most common mechanisms were road traffic incidents (RTIs; 78.5%, n = 1,535), assault (10.7%, n=216), and falls (7.8%, n=156). Most patients experienced mild TBI (Glasgow Coma Score [GCS] ≥ 13; 83.5%, n = 1,625). The most common interventions were provision of pain medications (71.0%, n = 1,429), placement of a cervical collar (53.6%, n = 1,079), and administration of intravenous fluids (48.7%, n = 979). In total, TBIs were involved in 67.0% of all mortalities seen by SAMU.
conclusionCurrently, TBIs represent a large burden of disease managed in the prehospital setting of Kigali, Rwanda. These injuries are most often caused by RTIs and were observed in 67% of mortalities seen by SAMU. Rwanda has implemented several initiatives to reduce the incidence of TBIs with a specific emphasis on road safety. Further efforts are needed to better prevent these injuries. Countries seeking to develop prehospital care capacity should train providers to manage patients with TBIs.
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