"EM Doc On Call:" A Pilot Study to Improve Interhospital Transfers in Rwanda.

Introduction: Treatment of seriously ill patients is often complicated by prolonged or complex transfers between hospitals in sub-Saharan Africa. Difficulties or inefficiency in these transfers can lead to poor outcomes for patients. "On-call" triage systems have been utilized to facilitate communication between facilities and to avoid poor outcomes associated with patient transfer.

Right-sided weakness in a Rwandan patient with untreated Tetralogy of Fallot.

Background: Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) is the most common cyanotic congenital heart disease encountered in pediatrics with surgical repair being the definitive treatment. Long-term survival after surgical repair has improved; however, reported mortality rates in untreated TOF are significant. Associated complications include neurological sequelae such as brain abscess and stroke.

Trends in Neurotrauma Epidemiology, Management, and Outcomes during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Kigali, Rwanda.

National regulations to curb the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) transmission and health care resource reallocation may have impacted incidence and treatment for neurotrauma, including traumatic brain injury (TBI) and spinal trauma, but these trends have not been characterized in Sub-Saharan Africa. This study analyzes differences in epidemiology, management, and outcomes preceding and during the COVID-19 pandemic for neurotrauma patients in a Rwandan tertiary hospital. The study setting was the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Kigali (CHUK), Rwanda's national referral hospital.

Factors associated with HIV testing among patients seeking emergent injury care in Kigali, Rwanda.

Introduction: Emergency centres (ECs) can be important access points for HIV testing. In Rwanda, one in eight people with HIV are unaware of their infection status, which impedes epidemic control. This could be addressed via increased testing.

Utilisation of peripheral vasopressor medications and extravasation events among critically ill patients in Rwanda: A prospective cohort study.

Introduction: In high-income settings, vasopressor administration to treat haemodynamic instability through a central venous catheter (CVC) is the preferred standard. However, due to lack of availability and potential for complications, CVCs are not widely used in low- and middle-income countries. This prospective cohort study evaluated the use of peripheral vasopressors and associated incidence of extravasation events in patients with haemodynamic instability at the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Kigali, Rwanda.

Injury burdens and care delivery in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic in Kigali, Rwanda: A prospective interrupted cross-sectional study.

Introduction: Injuries cause significant burdens in sub-Saharan Africa. In Rwanda, national regulations to reduce COVID-19 altered population mobility and resource allocations. This study evaluated epidemiological trends and care among injured patients preceding and during the COVID-19 pandemic at the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Kigali (CHUK) in Kigali, Rwanda.

Performance of Prognostication Scores for Mortality in Injured Patients in Rwanda.

Introduction: While trauma prognostication and triage scores have been designed for use in lower-resourced healthcare settings specifically, the comparative clinical performance between trauma-specific and general triage scores for risk-stratifying injured patients in such settings is not well understood. This study evaluated the Kampala Trauma Score (KTS), Revised Trauma Score (RTS), and Triage Early Warning Score (TEWS) for accuracy in predicting mortality among injured patients seeking emergency department (ED) care at the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Kigali (CHUK) in Rwanda.

Methods: A retrospective, randomly sampled cohort of ED patients presenting with injury was accrued from August 2015-July 2016.

Association between volume resuscitation & mortality among injured patients at a tertiary care hospital in Kigali, Rwanda.

Background: Injuries cause significant morbidity and mortality in sub-Saharan African countries such as Rwanda. These burdens may be compounded by limited access to intravenous (IV) resuscitation fluids such as crystalloids and blood products. This study evaluates the association between emergency department (ED) intravenous volume resuscitation and mortality outcomes in adult trauma patients treated at the University Teaching Hospital-Kigali (UTH- K).

Lessons Learned from Rwanda: Innovative Strategies for Prevention and Containment of COVID-19.

Introduction: Rwanda has made significant advancements in medical and economic development over the last 20 years and has emerged as a leader in healthcare in the East African region. The COVID-19 pandemic, which reached Rwanda in March 2020, presented new and unique challenges for infectious disease control. The objective of this paper is to characterize Rwanda's domestic response to the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic and highlight effective strategies so that other countries, including high and middle-income countries, can learn from its innovative initiatives.

An unusual cause of recurrent laryngospasm: A case report.

Introduction: Laryngospasm is a partial or complete closure of the vocal cords, causing stridor and then complete airway obstruction. We present an unusual case of recurrent laryngospasm following cervical spine trauma.

Case Report: A 41-year-old pedestrian was hit by a car sustaining several spine fractures including a comminuted fracture of C1.