Forensic Medical Study of Road Traffic Accident Cases Admitted to Minia University Hospital

Abstract

Road traffic accident, Egypt, Injuries, Deaths. Road traffic accidents (RTAs) constitute a significant public health problem, they are rising in an alarming rate and causing increased morbidity and mortality among people. The objective of this study is to retrospectively analyze the data of road traffic accidents cases in Minia University Hospital from January to December 2016. The data was obtained from sheets of road traffic accident cases enrolled to the hospital within the year 2016 and statistically analyzed as regard the age groups and sex distribution, the causal vehicle, the pattern of injuries occurred, seasonal variation, and the number of deaths due to RTA, the leading causes of death and the survival period following the accident. The total number of studied cases was 370; most of the injuries were observed in adults (74.3%), with marked increase in males (79.5 %). Four wheels were the most causal vehicles (58.9%) for RTAs with higher incidence in spring. Bone fractures were the most common injury pattern (60.5 %) followed by head injuries (37.6 %), then abdominal injuries (9.7%), and finally chest injuries (8.4%). Skin injuries were observed only in (27.8%) of cases. The total number of deaths was 126 (34.1%) cases. Range of survival period was 0-11 days; the most frequent injury presented in dead cases was head injuries (69.8%). The present study concluded that bone fractures were the most common injury pattern in RTAs while head injuries were the main contributing factor for death. The skin injury is not indicative of severity of internal injury.