The predictive factors for injury severity and pregnancy outcomes after traffic accidents during pregnancy

Abstract

Objective: To estimate the predictive factors associated with traffic injury severity and pregnancy outcomes in traffic accidents during pregnancy. Methods: We performed a retrospective case review study to assess 109 pregnant women who were injured by traffic accidents and were admitted to Gangneung Asan Hospital and KyungHee University Hospital from September 1996 to January 2009. The clinical data of maternal age, parity, gestational age, symptoms of the patients that happened after accidents, accident location, seat position in vehicle, maternal injury severity which was quantified with injury severity score (ISS), pregnancy outcomes, and subchorionic hematoma were reviewed with the medical records or the telephone interviews. Adverse pregnant outcomes included abortion, preterm delivery and fetal death in uterus. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the predictive factors for injury severity and pregnancy outcomes after traffic accidents. Results: Pedestrian injury and first trimester were significantly associated with severity of maternal injury. Multivariate analysis revealed that abdominal pain was independently predictive factor for the severity of maternal injury. The second trimester, pedestrian injury, right front seat of vehicle, severity of maternal injury and subchorionic hematoma were significantly associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. Multivariate analysis revealed that severity of maternal injury and subchorionic hematoma were independently predictive factors for adverse pregnancy outcomes. Conclusion: According to predictive factors for pregnancy outcomes, the severity of maternal injury estimated with ISS score and subchorionic hematoma seems to be helpful indicators in the management of traffic accident injuries during pregnancy.