Chain of help to patients injured in road traffic accidents: A necessity in Nigeria and other low-and middle-income countries

Abstract

The type of help needed by road traffic victims varies with the severity of their injuries. In cases of minor injury, patients will often not be hospitalized but will wish to seek the help of a traditional practitioner or at most a general practitioner. Optimal medical and psychological follow-up care at this level is very important to alleviate pain and distress. In major injuries, the help provided to the victims can be viewed schematically as a chain consisting of different links as shown in Figure 1. Help starts with (1) action taken by the victims themselves or more often by lay witnesses or bystanders. The subsequent links in the chain are (2) access to the emergency service rescuers, (3) the help provided by emergency medical services, (4) the delivery of medical care before arrival at the hospital, (5) Specialist/ hospital trauma care and (6) rehabilitative/ psychosocial care.