The pattern of the Syrian refugee's injuries managed in King Abdullah University Hospital (Jordan).

OBJECTIVE

This study was conducted to assess the pattern, the magnitude, the severity, the distribution, and the results of the management of the injured Syrian refugees at King Abdullah University Hospital (KAUH).

METHODS

The medical records of 90 consecutive injured Syrian patients admitted to KAUH at the beginning of the Syrian conflict in 2012-2013 were reviewed. Information regarding the age, the sex, the antomical regions, the organs injured, the operations performed, the complications, and the weapons used were recorded.

RESULTS

Of the 90 cases, 86 (95.6%) were males and 4 (4.4%) were females. The age of patients ranged between 6 and 64 years with: 8 children (6-18) years old, 81 young adults (18-48) years old, and only 1elderly patient (64) years old. The distributions of the injuries were: 54.5% in extremities, 47.8% head and neck, 15.5% chest, and 14.4% abdomen with involvement of more than one injured region in several patients. The injuries were inflected by explosives in 49 cases, bullets in 45 cases, and both in 4 cases. The most frequently performed operations were: fractures fixations, fasciotomies, laparotomies, and craniotomies. Musculoskeletal and neurological deficits occurred in 11.1 and 8.8% of cases, respectively. The mortality rate was 2.2%. The average hospital stay was 19 days. The overall management costs were more than half million US Dollars.

CONCLUSIONS

Extremities and head and neck were the most injured regions. The referral from the forward centers and the procedures performed in our hospital improved the management outcomes. The management required long hospital stay and was costly.