Pattern of common injuries in road traffic accidents

Abstract

Road accidents kill large number of people and it is as ‘war on the roads’. According to a WHO report, the number of road traffic deaths continues to climb, reaching a high of 1.35 million in 2016 is the 8th leading cause of death for all age and is the leading cause of death for children and young adults.1 It worse, 80 per cent of these deaths and injuries take place in the developing countries. Road traffic accidents have got multi-factorial causation. The time taken between the accident and reaching the hospital is critical and that is a very important lacuna in providing medical aid to the victims. There are no good mobile ambulance services and well-run trauma centers available except few. After institutional ethical clearance for the study, study was carried out at Mortuary of Dept of Forensic Medicine, GGS Medical College, Faridkot. It is prospective study. All the dead bodies brought for postmortem examinations during the period Jan 2011-Dec 2017 were analyzed. The detailed analysis of these cases was based on the inquest report, medical records, and evaluation of autopsy reports. Out of 1518 medico legal autopsies studies during the study period, 33.66% were of vehicular accident fatalities with commonest vulnerable age group is 20-30 years 28.96%, with preponderance of 91% males and majority were of 71% rural residence of which 41.09% were hospitalized. Brain injury 56.61% in majority location of internal organ injury on the body. With regard to musculoskeletal injuries topped the list of injuries of RTA in all age groups of victims involving the limbs 46.97%. Wounds are produced which are in combinations of abrasion, contusion, lacerations and fracture dislocation seen majority of cases. The most common cause of death was Injury to brain 52.05%, maximum 45% died within one hour of the incidence. Road traffic accidents continue to be a speedily rising problem, causing heavy loss of manpower and resources. Road users should be properly trained by auth