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

IntroductionChronic 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 AnalysisThe scoping review protocol for the proposed study is in accordance with the Arksey and OMalleys 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 disseminationGiven 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. ARTICLE SUMMARYO_ST_ABSStudy strengths and limitationsC_ST_ABSO_LITo our knowledge this is the first scoping review focusing on the management and outcomes of chronic subdural haematoma on the African continent. C_LIO_LIThis protocol aims at ensuring transparency in the research methods used for the proposed review, and this will therefore reduce the chances of reviewing bias. C_LIO_LIThe search strategy will be run in six electronic databases commonly used as repositories by journals publishing research from Africa. C_LIO_LIThere will be no restrictions on language, and publication date during the screening process. C_LIO_LIUnpublished studies will not be sought. C_LIO_LIThere will be no formal assessment on the quality of the included studies. C_LI