Characteristics, reasons and patterns of Road Traffic Injuries presenting in emergency department of a tertiary care public hospital in Karachi.

Khaista Muhammad,Sikander Hayat,Shiraz Shaikh,Javeria Ashraf

doi:10.12669/pjms.38.4.4490

Abstract

Objectives:To determine the main characteristics, reasons and patterns of road traffic injuries (RTIs) in a tertiary care public hospital of Karachi.Methods:It was a hospital based cross sectional study conducted in a public tertiary care hospital emergency department with a sample size 425 selected conveniently. Participants included the consenting victims or caretaking attendants of road traffic injuries (RTIs) from 25th May to 28th June in 2019. A structured questionnaire was developed after literature review and was translated into “Urdu” language. The questionnaire collected detailed information on socio-demographic characteristics, possible reasons of RTI’s such as condition of vehicle, over speeding and breaking traffic rules. Data was analyzed by using software SPSS version 20.Results:Almost half of RTI victims (43.1%) belonged to the age group 18-29. Majority of the victims were males (86.6%). The most common vehicle involved was motorbike (87.50%) followed by Rickshaw (6.8%) and Car (2.4%). Majority of RTIs occurred on main road (75.30%). The most common sites of injuries were lower limb (64%), upper limb (37.60%) and head (32.2%). The severe injuries were significantly more likely to happen in events in which direct collision with other vehicle/thing was involved, road conditions were wet and pedestrian were crossing the road.Conclusion:Motorbikes were involved in majority of RTIs. Main reasons of RTIs included irresponsible road behaviors including over-speeding, careless road crossing, breaking the signal and riding on wet roads which lead to moderate to severe injuries in almost two thirds of participants

Highlights

Road Traffic Injuries (RTIs) can occur as a result of a conjunction of human error, road-related conditions and vehicle defects.[1,2] Globally, road traffic accidents account for approximately 1.27 million deaths worldwide per year, making them the 11th leading cause of death.[3]
Our findings indicated that road traffic injuries (RTIs) were slightly higher at night time possibly due to poor visibility and inadequate street lighting
Educational and Regulatory interventions are needed to decrease the occurrence of RTIs and their potential consequences

Summary

Introduction

Road Traffic Injuries (RTIs) can occur as a result of a conjunction of human error, road-related conditions and vehicle defects.[1,2] Globally, road traffic accidents account for approximately 1.27 million deaths worldwide per year, making them the 11th leading cause of death.[3]. Road Traffic Injuries (RTIs) can occur as a result of a conjunction of human error, road-related conditions and vehicle defects.[1,2]. Road traffic accidents account for approximately 1.27 million deaths worldwide per year, making them the 11th leading cause of death.[3]. Deaths due to RTIs are predicted to have declined by 27-30% in high-income countries.[4]. Approximately 90% of deaths related to RTIs occur in low and middle income countries.[5]. The consequences of RTIs can range from minor injuries to disability. Pak J Med Sci March - April 2022 (Part-II) Vol 38 No 4 www.pjms.org.pk 862 and death, depending on their severity. Injuries and disabilities can further lead to psychological distress as well as loss of productivity.[6-8]

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