RESUMEN
INTRODUCTION: Death rates in the accident and emergency department may be a reflection of the quality of care in the hospital. Trauma related mortality is a significant cause of preventable death. METHOD: A retrospective study was conducted in the accident and emergency department of the University College Hospital Ibadan (Nigeria) using the hospital records to determine the pattern of mortality over one year. RESULT: Five thousand one hundred patients attended the accident and emergency department in the year reviewed. One hundred and sixty eight (3.3%) mortalities were recorded .There were 97 males and 71 females with mean ages of 49+/-37.8 and 42+/-30.7 years respectively. 46% of the patients had medical (non-trauma non-surgical) related diagnoses. Trauma constituted 31% of the mortalities with an average probability of survival of 80% at presentation. Head injury and multiple long bone fracture were the commonest causes of trauma related mortalities. CONCLUSION: Trauma is a preventable cause of death. The poor outcome of the trauma patients underscores the need to equip the attending doctors in the emergency room with basic skills in trauma care.