A prospective cross-sectional study assessed the clinical profile, ED outcomes, and factors associated with ED mortality among 224 adult road traffic injury (RTI) victims at five government hospitals in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in July 2023.
ED mortality was 1.8%; 42.0% (n=94) were treated and discharged, while 20.1% (n=45) required ICU admission. Delayed arrival (1–24 h), lack of pre-hospital care, and poly-trauma were each independently associated with increased ED death (all p<0.05). Pedestrians made up 71.9% of victims; young men (age 24–33) were most affected.
Single-month data collection (July 2023) limits generalizability across seasons; cross-sectional design cannot establish causality; small sample size (n=224) may underpower mortality analyses given only 1.8% ED death rate.
Timely prehospital care and rapid hospital transfer are critical — delayed arrival and absent pre-hospital care both independently predict ED death in RTI patients. Clinicians and policymakers in low-income urban settings should prioritize pedestrian safety programs and strengthen prehospital emergency systems.
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