Research Article
Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve Injury After Thyroid Surgery at St. Paul's Hospital Millennium Medical College, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Issue:
Volume 12, Issue 4, August 2024
Pages:
92-98
Received:
18 May 2024
Accepted:
7 June 2024
Published:
3 July 2024
Abstract: Background: Recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) injury, a dreaded complication in thyroid surgery, remains a concern even in the hands of seasoned surgeons. It stands as a significant cause for medical malpractice claims against surgeons. Objective: To assess the Magnitude of RLN injury and associated factors in patients undergoing thyroid surgery at St. Paul's Hospital Millennium Medical College (SPHMMC), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from May 1st, 2021, to April 30th, 2022. Methods: A facility-based, observational study was conducted at SPHMMC, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire designed with Google Forms. A census sampling approach was used to select the data charts to ensure a comprehensive perspective. This method ensured a representative sample of the population under study, enhancing the reliability of the results. The information was transferred to Excel and then imported into SPSS. Descriptive statistics were employed to summarize the key characteristics within the dataset concisely. Stepwise multiple logistic regression was implemented to explore the potential relationships between the independent and dependent variables. A significance level of p < 0.05 was adopted to identify statistically meaningful results. The findings are presented through a combination of text, tables, and figures. Results: The study included a total of 185 patients, with a mean± SD age of 41.62 ± 12.72 and a median age of 40. Females constituted 78.9% of the participants. The study's key finding is a persistent RLN injury rate of 5.4% (10/185). After adjusting for other covariates, the odds of developing persistent RLN injury were found to be 30 times higher among patients who had central neck dissection than those who had not undergone central neck dissection (AOR=30.0, 95%CI=4.3,211.9, p-value=0.001). However, sex, substernal goiter, histologic finding, preoperative toxicity, extent of thyroidectomy, and identification of RLN intra-operatively were not associated with persistent RLN injury in bivariate logistic regression analysis. Conclusion: This study found a persistent, recurrent laryngeal nerve injury rate of 5.4% in patients undergoing thyroid surgery. Central neck dissection was the only factor significantly associated with an increased risk of recurrent laryngeal nerve injury. These findings suggest minimizing central neck dissection when feasible during thyroid surgery to reduce the risk of this complication.
Abstract: Background: Recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) injury, a dreaded complication in thyroid surgery, remains a concern even in the hands of seasoned surgeons. It stands as a significant cause for medical malpractice claims against surgeons. Objective: To assess the Magnitude of RLN injury and associated factors in patients undergoing thyroid surgery at S...
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Research Article
Pattern and Outcome of Abdominal Injury Management in Yekatit 12 Hospital Medical College, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Issue:
Volume 12, Issue 4, August 2024
Pages:
99-104
Received:
25 March 2024
Accepted:
11 April 2024
Published:
23 July 2024
Abstract: Background: Abdominal injury is one of the major causes of trauma admissions. Evidence based information about causes of trauma related deaths is relevant for health policy making about prevention and control. The aim of the study was to identify the mechanism of trauma, commonly injured organs, patterns and outcome of abdominal trauma in Yekatit 12 Hospital Medical College. Method: ALongitudinal study design was conducted from April 2022 to May 2023 G.C Results: During the study, 42 patients were observed, with males comprising 83.3%. Most patients fell within the 20-29 age groups. Penetrating trauma was the most common mechanism (54.8%), with stabs (38.1%), RTAs (31.0%), and gunshots (14.3%) leading the causes. Negative laparotomy rate was 4.8%. Laparotomy was performed in 88.1% of cases, with the small bowel (33.3%) being the most commonly injured organ. Postoperative complication rate was 21.6%, mainly surgical site infections (10.8%). Complication rate was higher in penetrating injuries (62.5%) compared to blunt trauma (37.5%). Mortality rate for abdominal injury was 4.78%. Conclusion: Abdominal trauma predominantly impacts younger males. Stab wounds and road traffic accidents (RTAs) are the primary causes, emphasizing the importance of public awareness for preventing RTAs and similar injuries.
Abstract: Background: Abdominal injury is one of the major causes of trauma admissions. Evidence based information about causes of trauma related deaths is relevant for health policy making about prevention and control. The aim of the study was to identify the mechanism of trauma, commonly injured organs, patterns and outcome of abdominal trauma in Yekatit 1...
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