Firearm injuries among children due to the Kivu conflict from 2017 to 2020: A hospital-based retrospective descriptive cohort study.

Autor:	Murhega RB; Department of Surgery, Provincial General Reference Hospital of Bukavu, Bukavu, Democratic Republic of the Congo.; Faculty of Medicine, Université Catholique de Bukavu, Bukavu, Democratic Republic of the Congo.; Research Department, Association of Future African Neurosurgeons, Yaounde, Cameroon., Budema PM; Department of Surgery, Provincial General Reference Hospital of Bukavu, Bukavu, Democratic Republic of the Congo.; Faculty of Medicine, Université Catholique de Bukavu, Bukavu, Democratic Republic of the Congo., Tshimbombu TN; Research Department, Association of Future African Neurosurgeons, Yaounde, Cameroon.; Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH, USA., Toha GK; Department of Surgery, Provincial General Reference Hospital of Bukavu, Bukavu, Democratic Republic of the Congo.; Faculty of Medicine, Université Catholique de Bukavu, Bukavu, Democratic Republic of the Congo., Cikomola FG; Department of Surgery, Provincial General Reference Hospital of Bukavu, Bukavu, Democratic Republic of the Congo.; Faculty of Medicine, Université Catholique de Bukavu, Bukavu, Democratic Republic of the Congo., Mudekereza PS; Department of Surgery, Provincial General Reference Hospital of Bukavu, Bukavu, Democratic Republic of the Congo.; Faculty of Medicine, Université Catholique de Bukavu, Bukavu, Democratic Republic of the Congo., Mubenga LE; Department of Surgery, Provincial General Reference Hospital of Bukavu, Bukavu, Democratic Republic of the Congo.; Faculty of Medicine, Université Catholique de Bukavu, Bukavu, Democratic Republic of the Congo., Balemba GM; Faculty of Medicine, Université Catholique de Bukavu, Bukavu, Democratic Republic of the Congo.; Department of Radiology, Provincial General Reference Hospital of Bukavu, Bukavu, Democratic Republic of the Congo., Badesire DC; Department of Surgery, Provincial General Reference Hospital of Bukavu, Bukavu, Democratic Republic of the Congo.; Faculty of Medicine, Université Catholique de Bukavu, Bukavu, Democratic Republic of the Congo., Negida A; Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt.; School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Science, University of Portsmouth, UK., Kanmounye US; Research Department, Association of Future African Neurosurgeons, Yaounde, Cameroon.
Jazyk:	angličtina
Zdroj:	African journal of emergency medicine : Revue africaine de la medecine d'urgence [Afr J Emerg Med] 2022 Mar; Vol. 12 (1), pp. 44-47. Date of Electronic Publication: 2022 Jan 12.
DOI:	10.1016/j.afjem.2021.11.006
Abstrakt:	Introduction: Firearm-related injuries are deadly but avoidable. The case of Kivu, a region in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), is alarming. Decades of unresolved regional conflicts birthed armed groups that have massacred inhabitants and injured several children. This regional instability has also created barriers to seeking and obtaining timely care, decreasing the survival rate. This region's lack of data on paediatric fatal and nonfatal firearm injuries (F&NFFIs) needs studying. Thus, we aim to determine the prevalence and evaluate the outcomes of paediatric F&NFFIs in Kivu. Methods: We included all F&NFFI paediatric patients (≤18 years), admitted at our institution between 2017 and 2020. We extracted data from patient records. Next, we assessed the relationship between determinants of paediatric outcomes using the Chi-square test and the student's t -test. Confounders were identified using cox regression. Results: This study included 101 paediatric patients, mostly male (63.4%), with an average age of 15.9 years residing 164.4 km on average from the hospital. On average, they were admitted 2.9 days post-injury, with the most affected anatomical regions being lower limbs (53.5%) and upper limbs (18.8%). The mean length of stay was 52.9 days, and the mortality rate was 4.0%. Also, injury complications increased the mean length of stay and mortality rate. In addition, mortality was correlated with circulatory failure and anaemia. Discussion: Paediatric F&NFFIs in Eastern DRC is a preventable tragedy. Mortality is increased by injury complications and correlates with some biological factors. Prevention strategies should be developed to protect children and appropriate measures should be established to improve rates of prehospital care and early hospital presentation to lower mortality and improve paediatric outcomes. Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest. (© 2021 The Authors.)
Databáze:	MEDLINE
Externí odkaz:	Zobrazit plný text záznamu