Management and outcomes of Chronic Subdural Hematoma in Africa: a protocol for a scoping review

Abstract

Introduction: Chronic subdural hematoma (cSDH) is a common neurosurgical condition characterised by the accumulation of blood between the dura mater and the arachnoid membrane. It has a significant prevalence and high mortality. Over the years, the management of cSDH has been extensively studied in high-income countries. On the other hand, Africa, which is faced with a significant neurosurgical care deficit, lacks aggregate data on the management strategies and outcomes on cSDH on this continent. This protocol aims to guide the scoping review of published studies investigating the characteristics, management strategies, and outcomes of cSDH in Africa. Methods and Analysis: The scoping review protocol for the proposed study is in accordance with the Arksey and O Malleys framework. The objectives, eligibility criteria and search strategy were developed based on the Population, Intervention, Comparator, Outcome framework. A comprehensive search will be conducted in electronic databases, including MEDLine, African Index Medicus, PubMed, Embase, African Journals Online, and Scopus to identify relevant studies. Only peer-reviewed publications with primary data reporting on the management of cSDH in the African human population will be included. Extracted data from included articles will be presented as descriptive statistics, pooled statistics, and a narrative description where deemed necessary. Ethics and dissemination: Given the non-direct involvement of human individuals, ethical approval will not be necessary. Dissemination strategies will include publication in a peer-reviewed journal, oral and poster presentations at conferences and promotion over social media.