TITLE:
Hospital Mortality in Orthopedic Traumatology at the Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Treichville University Teaching Hospital, Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire): Clinical Determinants and Structural Constraints
AUTHORS:
Traore Moctar, Sainy Kouakou Stéphane Dorgelès, Yepie Armand Gildas, Kaloga Sekou, Anoumou N’Guessan Michel
KEYWORDS:
Trauma, Hospital Mortality, Risk Factors
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Orthopedics,
Vol.16 No.3,
March
27,
2026
ABSTRACT: Background: Hospital mortality remains a key indicator of trauma care quality. This study aimed to describe the epidemiological profile and determinants of mortality among trauma patients managed in a Department of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery from Sub-Saharan Africa. Methods: A five-year retrospective and analytical study (January 2020 - December 2024) including the population of all patients hospitalized in the orthopedic and traumatology department. All records of patients who died secondarily in the department were included. Demographic, clinical, therapeutic, and outcome variables were analyzed. Results: Out of 3569 admissions, 115 deaths were recorded, yielding an overall hospital mortality rate of 3.2%. Males accounted for 62.6% of deaths (sex ratio 1.67). The mean age was 52.4 ± 18.6 years; age ≥ 60 years was a significant predictor of death (p = 0.03). Hemorrhagic shock (24 cases) and sepsis (38 cases) were the leading causes. Most deaths occurred during the preoperative phase (70.4%). Mortality was associated with injury severity, lack of health insurance, high treatment costs, and limited availability of intensive care beds. Conclusion: Trauma-related hospital mortality at Treichville reflects the combined impact of clinical severity and systemic constraints. Strengthening intensive care capacity, ensuring blood product availability, and implementing universal health coverage are essential strategies to improve trauma outcomes in Côte d’Ivoire.