Problem:
Every year, 5.8 million deaths, about 10% of total global mortality, result from injuries. About 90% of these deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries. The traffic-related mortality rate in India is among the highest in the world. Based on data collected from January through December 2012 in the ED of a district hospital (secondary care-level facility) serving a population of approximately 600,000, Lakshmi et al. shed some light on the epidemiology of injury in Punjab state in northern India. Using a paper-based questionnaire developed by the research team, the data were collected by emergency medical officers (EMOs) for all patients arriving in the ED of the district hospital in Fatehgarh Sahib District in Punjab, India. The information was obtained directly from patients and/or their family members, with supplemental data included based on the professional observation and assessment of the attending EMO. An electronic database was created on Epi Info and subsequently analyzed with the help of SPSS 16 statistical software package. Of the 1,548 patients who arrived in the ED during the study period, 649 (42%) were reported as injury cases. TABLE 8.13 provides some descriptive data on the characteristics of injured patients and the nature, context, and circumstances. Need Assignment Help?