Emergency department admissions Kumasi, Ghana: Prevalence of alcohol and substance use, and associated trauma.

Introduction: Alcohol and substance use (ASU) are significant contributors to global morbidity, mortality, and health resource utilization. We sought to describe the frequency of ASU use among adult injured patients presenting to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital Emergency Department (KATH ED) and to describe injury mechanism and site among injured patients.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out for six months in 2016 involving all trauma patients and altered mental status patients presenting to the ED in Kumasi, Ghana.

Catamenial pneumothorax in Ghana: case report and literature review.

Catamenial pneumothorax is a rare condition that is often misdiagnosed. It is defined as spontaneous pneumothorax occurring within 72 hours before or after onset of menstruation. Etiology is unknown but could be linked to endometriosis.

Inferior vena cava injury: survival of a rare case.

The inferior vena cava is the most commonly injured abdominal vessel and accounts for about 25% of abdominal vascular injuries. Despite improved preoperative care and operative techniques, the mortality rates for the inferior vena cava injuries are still high due to delayed presentation, inadequate or delayed fluid resuscitation, difficulty of diagnosis and technical problems in repair. A case of the inferior vena cava injury encountered after abdominal stab injury with about 4cm vertical tear of infrarenal vena cava, survived due to immediate transportation, appropriate and successful perioperative fluid and blood resuscitation, prompt surgical management with a team approach and critical post-operative surgical management.

Health care workers indicate ill preparedness for Ebola Virus Disease outbreak in Ashanti Region of Ghana.

Background: The recent Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) epidemic that hit some countries in West Africa underscores the need to train front line high-risk health workers on disease prevention skills. Although Ghana did not record (and is yet to) any case, and several health workers have received numerous training schemes, there is no record of any study that assessed preparedness of healthcare workers (HCWS) regarding EVD and any emergency prone disease in Ghana. We therefore conducted a hospital based cross sectional study involving 101 HCWs from two facilities in Kumasi, Ghana to assess the level of preparedness of HCWs to respond to any possible EVD.

Harmful alcohol use among injured adult patients presenting to a Ghanaian emergency department.

We performed a nested convenience sample survey of harmful alcohol use among injured patients aged 18 years and older treated in the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (Kumasi, Ghana) emergency department (ED). Data from the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test, alcohol breath or saliva tests, patient demographics and injury characteristics were collected from an administered survey and medical chart review. A total of 403 subjects were surveyed, and 107 (27%; 95% CI 22 to 31) reported harmful alcohol use.

Diagnostic accuracy of the Kampala Trauma Score using estimated Abbreviated Injury Scale scores and physician opinion.

Background: The Kampala Trauma Score (KTS) has been proposed as a triage tool for use in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This study aimed to examine the diagnostic accuracy of KTS in predicting emergency department outcomes using timely injury estimation with Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) score and physician opinion to calculate KTS scores.

Methods: This was a diagnostic accuracy study of KTS among injured patients presenting to Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital A&E, Ghana.

Frequency of Alcohol Use Among Injured Adult Patients Presenting to a Ghanaian Emergency Department.

Study Objective: Injuries are the cause of almost 6 million deaths annually worldwide, with 15% to 20% alcohol associated. The frequency of alcohol-associated injury varies among countries and is unknown in Ghana. We determined the frequency of positive alcohol test results among injured adults in a Ghanaian emergency department (ED).

Knowledge and Perceptions of Health Workers' Training on Ethics, Confidentiality and Medico-Legal Issues.

Introduction: Health care delivery in recent times has become more complicated, as patients expect health personnel to not only provide professional services but be accountable as well. It is thus imperative that health personnel are aware of their responsibility to the patient and also sensitive to medico legal issues if quality health care is to be assured.

Objective: The aim of the study was to assess the knowledge and perception of health care workers on their training in ethics, confidentiality and medico-legal issues.