Abstracts from international emergency medicine journals

Editor’s note: EMJ has partnered with the journals of multiple international emergency medicine societies to share from each a highlighted research study, as selected by their editors. This edition will feature an abstract from each publication. The official journal of the African Federation for Emergency Medicine, the Emergency Medicine Association of Tanzania, the Emergency Medicine Society of South Africa, the Egyptian Society of Emergency Medicine, the Libyan Emergency Medicine Association, the Ethiopian Society of Emergency Medicine Professionals, the Sudanese Emergency Medicine Society, the Society of Emergency Medicine Practitioners of Nigeria and the Rwanda Emergency Care Association ![Graphic][1]</img> ### A silent epidemic: exploring the clinico-epidemiological impact of explosion and gunshot injuries in the emergency department of a tertiary hospital in Somalia Background: Mass casualty incidents, such as explosions and gunshot wounds (GSWs), pose significant public health challenges. This study analyses the clinico-epidemiological profile and outcomes of patients with explosive injuries and GSWs in Somalia. Method: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 225 patients admitted to the emergency department (ED) of a tertiary hospital in Somalia between January and December 2021. Data collected included injury type, anatomical distribution, demographics, hospital admissions and outcomes. Results: Of the 225 explosion and GSW injuries, explosive injuries accounted for 58%, while GSWs made up 42%. The majority of patients were male (85.3%), with 89.5% in the GSW group and 82.3% in the explosion group. More than half (58.7%) of the patients were aged 18 to 30 years, with 59.2% in the explosion group and 57.9% in the GSW group. Anatomical analysis revealed that head injuries were most common (21%), particularly in explosion cases, as well as higher rates of head (26.2%), maxillofacial (7.7%) and lower limb injuries (12.3%) compared with patients with GSW. Some 21.7% of patients were discharged from ED, 19% admitted to ICU and an inpatient death rate of 12.9%, including three patients (1.3%) who died in the ED, all from the explosion injury group. Conclusion: The rising … [1]: /embed/inline-graphic-1.gif