Abstract
BackgroundMotorcycle vehicles are frequent in China, especially in the small and medium sized cities. Road traffic collisions involving motorcycles often result in severe injuries. We aimed to identify risk factors for severe injuries in inpatients sustaining motorcycle collisions.MethodsPatients with road traffic injuries involving motorcycles who presented to the neurosurgery and orthopedic departments of three major comprehensive hospitals in Shantou city were reviewed from October 2012 to June 2013. Data from 349 patients was investigated. Crash and injury characteristics were documented by interviewing patients, their family members, and their doctors. Binary logistic regression was used to determine risk factors for severe injuries.ResultsThere were 253 males (72.49%) and 96 females (27.51%), with a male to female ratio of 2.64:1. The mean age was 38.21±17.32 years. One-hundred and fifty patients were in the severe injury group with a mean injury severity score (ISS) of 15.34±9.13. The simple and multiple logistic model showed that males, lack of safeguards, morning and night hours, non-urban areas, collision of a motorcycle with a cycle, ambulance transportation to hospital, admission to a neurosurgery department, lack of traffic control, unobstructed traffic, and poor visibility were all the risk factors.ConclusionsThis research highlights some problems: less helmet wearing in motorcyclists and cyclists, rural injuries being more serious than urban ones, and head injuries being the main diagnosis in severe injuries. The result of this research is predictable. If the safety equipment is required to be used, such as helmets, and the traffic environment is improved, such as traffic flow, medical resources to injuries and deaths is seasonable, then traffic safety will be improved and accidents will be reduced.
Highlights
Road traffic injuries are a serious public health problem
One hundred and fifty patients were classified in the severe injury group and 199 patients were in the non-severe injury group
We found that risk factors involved in severe motorcycle injuries included male gender, lack of a safeguard, the times of 0:00–6:00 and 18:00–24:00, non-urban locations, collision of a motorcycle with a cycle, use of an ambulance for transport to the hospital, admission to the neurosurgery department, lack of traffic control, unobstructed traffic conditions, and poor visibility
Summary
Road traffic injuries are a serious public health problem. According to the World Health Organization report in July 2013, road traffic injuries have increased from 11th in 2000 to 9th in 2011 in cause of death, and will be 5th by 2030 [1]. Motorcycle-related injuries account for the majority of injuries and deaths related to road traffic in China [5,6]. Road traffic injuries involving motorcycles often result in severe injuries [9,10,11,12]. The proportion of fatalities and injuries in motorcycle collisions is even higher in some medium-sized cities where motorcycle use is more common, for example over 50% of total traffic injuries in Shantou city [13]
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