The aetiology and agents of pre-hospital transportation of patients with femoral shaft fractures

Abstract

The femoral shaft is the part of the femur that consists of compact bone. Fractures involving the femoral shaft are recognised as disabling injuries and are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with lower extremity injuries. This is because the fractures often result from high energy injuries and the injured patients frequently require help to be transported to hospital. This study reviewed the aetiology and agents of transportation in 69 patients who presented at the University College Hospital (UCH) in Ibadan, Nigeria, which is a low-income country (LIC). Most of the fractures resulted from road traffic crashes and the majority of the victims were transported by laymen, like drivers. It is believed that if basic training were to be given to this group of people, they would be useful in pre-hospital care in Nigeria’s situation.