Associated factors with intensive care unit (ICU) admission and mortality among road traffic accident victims in southern Iran: results from a trauma registry

Abstract

Objective: Road traffic crashes are a significant health problem worldwide, causing injury, disability, and death. This study aims to identify associated factors with intensive care unit (ICU) admission and mortality among road traffic accident victims using data from a trauma registry.
 
 Methods: This descriptive study examined 368 road traffic accident patients in the national trauma registry system from March 2021 to March 2023. Following the objectives of the study, a checklist was created that included information on age, gender, marital status, level of education, injury severity score (ISS), Glasgow coma scale (GCS), and abbreviated injury scale (AIS). The factors associated with ICU admission and mortality among road traffic accident victims were found significant according to univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses results.
 Results: 87.8% of the 368 patients included in this study were men, with a mean age of 33.54±18.95 years. Ten patients (2.71%) of total died, and 46 (12.5%) needed to be admitted to the ICU. In-hospital mortality and gender were not significantly associated (P=0.081). However, univariate logistic regression revealed several factors significantly associated with in-hospital mortality, including GCS<8 (OR: 60.05, 95% CI: 11.67,309), ISS>16 (OR: 11.39, 95% CI: 2.67,48.55), ICU admission (OR: 5,01, 95% CI: 1.36,18.50), underwent surgery (OR: 0.055, 95% CI: 0.014,0.223), respiratory rate (OR: 0.726, 95% CI: 0.630,0.836), O2 saturation (OR: 0.906, 95% CI: 00.852,0.963), systolic blood pressure (OR: 0.910, 95% CI:0.865,0.957) and temperature (OR: 0.932, 95% CI: 00.891,0.975). Furthermore, the odds of ICU admission was found to be increased with an ISS>16 (OR: 2072.12, 95% CI: 17.29,50644.09), being a pedestrian (OR: 366.53, 95% CI: 31.44,389.85), GCS<8 on admission (OR: 87.64, 95% CI: 29.04,264.43), smoking (OR: 11.92, 95% CI: 1.45,97.64), drug usage before the accident (OR: 11.47, 95% CI: 7.09,18.56), being a motorcyclist (OR: 5.72, 95% CI: 1.06,29.22), age (OR: 1.19, 95% CI: 1.05,1.34) and the time duration between the event and admission (OR: 1.01, 95% CI: 1.003,1.02).
 
 Conclusion: This study underscores the critical role of timely and effective medical interventions, including surgical procedures, in improving the outcomes of road accident victims. It also highlights the need for targeted preventive measures and interventions for high-risk groups pedestrians and motorcyclists.