Pattern Of Road Traffic Injuries Research Articles

Three-month pattern of road traffic injuries at a Kenyan level 4 hospital.

Road traffic injuries continue to exert a huge burden on the health care system in Kenya. Few studies on the pattern of road traffic injuries have been conducted in Kenya. We therefore carried out a retrospective study to determine the pattern of road traffic injuries seen in a public hospital in Naivasha district, Kenya. A retrospective study on surgical patients admitted at Naivasha District Hospital over a three month period was carried out. Eighty two percent of all patients injured in the crashes were men, and eighty percent were aged between 20-49 years. Most of the patients sustained lower limb injuries (41.5%) followed by head injuries (35.4%). Thirty one percent were pedestrians, 27.7% cyclists, 24.6% passengers and 16.9% motor vehicle drivers at the time of injury. Road traffic crashes are a growing pandemic, leading to high morbidity and mortality. Efforts need to be taken to prevent injuries, long term complications and loss of lives that are robbing communities off loved ones, bread winners and productive manpower.

Pattern of Road Traffic Injuries: One Year Hospital-Based Study in Bareilly District

Road traffic injuries and deaths caused by motor vehicles is a growing public health problem all over the world. Inter-country or regional differences in the pattern of injury by road users have significant implications in determining prevention policies. The present study was conducted to evaluate the pattern of injuries in 376 hospitalized trauma patients admitted during 1 year, from July 2013 to June 2014. The majority of the injuries (36.97%) involved motorcycles. Majority of injuries (35.37%) were observed in the age group of 16 - 30 years. Head and face injuries and injuries to the lower limbs comprised 56.11% and 56.65% of all injuries respectively. The bones of the lower limbs were most commonly fractured. To conclude, the traffic casualties of motorcyclists and pedestrians are considered a major problem and the preventive measures to reduce these transport related injuries are discussed in this study.

Pattern of road traffic injuries in patients admitted to Al-jlaa Hospital, Benghazi, Libya

The developing countries bear a large share of burden and account for about 85% of the deaths as a result of road traffic accidents. In Libya, accidents cost the country about $160 million in 1978. The factors that affect accident rates and severity are divided into behavioral and structural ones. The present study was carried out to determine the incidence of fatal vehicular accidents and patterns of injuries among road traffic injury victims brought to Al-jlaa Hospital (Benghazi, Libya). A total of 2630 patients with road traffic injuries were registered at Al-jlaa Hospital. The data reported in the present study were collected between January 2009 and December 2009. Data were collected, including medical history, patient symptoms, clinical signs, and the radiological findings. A systematic method was used for the clinical examination of the traumatized region. Data of patients were recorded, including age, sex, time of occurrence, types of road users, frequency and type of injury (frequency of soft tissue injuries and bone fractures), outcomes, ICU admission, duration of survival as well as the period of hospitalization until death. Furthermore, an optimal combination of radiographic imaging was ascertained and computed tomography was found to be the single most informative mode of imaging. The Glasgow Coma Scale was used to assess the severity of brain injury. The Abbreviated Injury Scale scorings were performed according to the guidelines in the Abbreviated Injury Scale 2005 edition. A conservative or an operative intervention performed for all the cases was also recorded.

Pattern of Road Traffic Injuries in Lublin County, Poland

Road traffic injury patients admitted to 35 hospitals in Lublin region. To describe the pattern of road traffic injuries in Lublin county, Poland. Review of medical records for the period from January 2004 to December 2005. Pedestrians accounted for the largest share of the Road traffic crash (RTC) injury cases (35.8%) and 46.4% of deaths. The highest mortality was observed in motorcycle occupants (7.1%) and victims with abdominal injuries (9.8%). Vulnerable road users represented 71.4% of all RTC deaths, with mortality 5.8%. Early transfers accounted for 82.5% of cases. Mortality in early transfers is 4 times higher than in late transfers. Poland ranks as one of the worst European countries in terms of severity and fatal outcomes of road traffic injuries. Groups of road users in Poland at the highest risk are pedestrians, cyclists, children and young male drivers. The highest mortality rate occurs among road users affected by multiple trauma and head/vertebral column injuries. Alleviation of consequences of road traffic injuries in Poland may be achieved by coordinated efforts and collective responsibility of government, central level agencies, rescue team members and community groups.

Road Traffic Injuries and their Outcome in the Elderly Patients 60 years and above. Does Age make a Difference?

Objective: To investigate the injury pattern, management and outcome of road traffic injuries in the elderly patients (60 years and above) involved in motor vehicle accidents and to compare factors associated with trauma and differences in trauma mortality between elderly and younger adult patients. Methods: This is a retrospective descriptive study conducted at a teaching hospital during Jun 2002 to Jan 2010, studying the differing pattern, and management of road traffic injuries in patients aged 60 years and above, designated as Group-A, and those below 60 years of age, designated as Group –B, regardless of gender of the patients. All the patients were referred through casualty and were assessed clinically followed by relevant investigations. Patients who sustained minor injuries were discharged after necessary treatment while those with serious injuries requiring intervention were admitted and managed accordingly. Patients having purely orthopaedic problems like isolated fractures or spine injuries were also excluded from the study. Treatment was instituted according to the severity of the trauma ranging from conservative treatment to laparotomy and chest intubation. The variables studied included demographics of both groups of patients, pattern of injuries sustained in both groups, trauma indices ISS and GCS, mechanism of injury, major injuries sustained, treatment instituted, mean number of hospital days, and morbidity and mortality. Details of individual patients were recorded on a proforma and data analyzed statistically on SPSS version 17. Results: A total 300 patients (Group-A n=149[49.66%] versus Group-B n=151[50.33%]) admitted and intervened were included in the study. Male patients predominated both the groups (Group-A. [Mean age 66.91, Std 6.859, Males n=115, Females n= 34] vs Group-B [Mean age 35.52, Std 13.814, Males n= 140, Females n= 11]). The group-A patients had significantly higher proportion of co-morbidities (p<0.001) compared to group-B patients (64.42% versus 18.66%). The mortality rises progressively with age and is almost twice as high as in younger population at all levels of severity of trauma. Incidence of chest injuries with rib fractures was more common in elderly victims (P<0.001) compared to the younger patients (40.26%) versus (12.58%). The overall in hospital mortality in Group-A patients was 14.76% compared to (4.63) in group-B for an almost comparable severity of injuries sustained. Conclusion: The incidence of road traffic accidents is on the rise in the elderly. The elderly patients have a different pattern of road traffic injuries and they respond poorly to the sustained injuries despite low ISS compared to the younger patients.

Spatial patterns monitoring of road traffic injuries in Karachi metropolis

This article aims to assess the pattern of road traffic injuries (RTIs) and fatalities in Karachi metropolis. Assessing the pattern of RTIs in Karachi at this juncture is important for many reasons. The rapid motorisation in the recent years due to the availability of credit has significantly increased the traffic volume of the city. Since then, the roads of Karachi have continuously developed at a rapid pace. This development has come with a high human loss, because the construction of multilevel flyovers, signal-free corridors and the resulting high-speed traffic ultimately increase the severity of injuries. The reasons for this high proportion are inadequate infrastructure, poor enforcement of safety regulations, high crash severity index and greater population of vulnerable road user groups (riders and pedestrians). This research is the first of its kind in the country to have a geocoded database of fatalities and injuries in a geographical information system for the entire city of Karachi. In fact, road crashes are both predictable and preventable. Developing countries should learn from the experience of highly motorised nations to avoid the high burden of RTIs by adopting road safety and prevention measures.

Road traffic injuries in I.R. Iran: the role of interventions implemented by traffic police

IntroductionThere is 65 deaths per day from road traffic injuries (RTIs). In Iran. Despite some interventions having been implemented, the impacts of these interventions on mortality and morbidity rates have...

Road Traffic Injuries in Iran: The Role of Interventions Implemented by Traffic Police

Introduction: In Iran there are about 70 deaths per day from road traffic injuries (RTIs). Despite some interventions having been implemented during the past 5 years, the impacts of these interventions on mortality and morbidity rates have not been well evaluated. Objective: To ascertain and describe the epidemiological pattern of RTIs in Iran for the years 2004 to 2007 and to compare the epidemiological trends of RTIs, before and 2 years after four road safety programs were put into place. Methods: A 4-year database from two sources, the traffic police and medico-legal data, was employed. The morbidity and death rates per 10,000 vehicles and per 100,000 populations were calculated as were the odds ratios (ORs) for before and after these national interventional programs. The four interventions concurrently/simultaneously put into place in 2005 were (1) enforcement of laws on the mandatory fastening of seat belts, (2) enforcement of the laws on use of motorcycle helmets, (3) enforcement of general traffic laws, and (4) mass media educational campaigns on national radio and television. Findings: There was a significant decrease in RTI-related death and morbidity rates in Iran, after the intervention programs were conducted (P < 0.001). The death rate decreased from 38.2 per 100,000 in 2004 to 31.8 in 2007 (OR = 0.83, 95% CI = 0.82–0.85). The death rate per 10,000 vehicles also showed a significant decline from 24.2 to 13.4 (OR = 0.56, 95% CI = 0.55–0.57). Similar reductions were seen among nonfatal RTIs. Conclusion: These findings demonstrate the role of traffic police interventions, initiated simultaneously on a national level, in RTI prevention. Though these reductions may not be solely attributable to the interventions implemented, they do highlight the importance of the contribution made by law enforcement and mass education campaigns.

Pattern of road traffic injuries: A study from western Maharashtra

Injuries are increasingly recognized as a global public health epidemic. Around the world, almost 16,000 people die everyday from all types of injuries. Injuries represent 12% of the global burden of disease, the third most important cause of overall mortality and the main cause of death among 1-40 year age groups.(1) The category of injuries worldwide is dominated by those incurred in road crashes. According to WHO data, deaths from road traffic injuries account for around 25% of all deaths from injury.(1) India has one of the highest road accident rates in the world. There has been a steady rise in the casualties in road accidents in the country and their proportions in total deaths due to all accident have also increased considerably in the past. In India, nearly 80,000 get killed and 340,000 are injured every year in about 300,000 accidents on road network of just 22,00,000 km2. There is an accident every minute and death every 8 min. Significant variations also arise between different states of India.(4)

Road traffic collisions in Bursa, Turkey, during 2003, 2004 and 2005

To highlight the demographic pattern of road traffic injuries in Bursa and to improve emergency care and health facility-based treatment. Records of all registered road traffic collisions maintained by the Uludağ University Emergency Department in Bursa for the period 2003 to 2005 and trauma files of 1307 road traffic collision victims were examined in this study. A form was designed to document patients' age, gender, type of trauma, time of trauma (hour, day, month and year), type and time to hospital of transport, presence of safety devices, presence of alcohol and blood alcohol concentration, localisations of wounds, trauma scores and outcomes. Of the 1307 cases, 418 (32%) were female and 889 (68%) were male. Ages ranged from 3 months to 87 years; mean age (+/-S.D.) was 34.8 (+/-17.3) years. The mean (+/-S.D.) ages of women and men were 35+/-17.6 and 34.7+/-17.2 years, respectively. Trauma was most commonly sustained within the motor vehicle (72.2%), followed by pedestrian injuries (21.7%), motorcycle injuries (5.5%) and bicycle injuries (0.6%). Collisions were most frequent in summer (34.7%) and on Fridays and weekends (48.5%). Seat belts were used in only 1.8% of incidents. In 90 cases (6.9%) alcohol was found in the blood; mean blood alcohol concentration was 139.2+/-88.3mg/dl. The identification of RTC characteristics may contribute to the development of injury prevention measures. Road travel requires extra attentiveness at peak accident times. Seat-belt use should increase, as well as use of other safety equipment such as collision helmets. Shorter transportation time of casualties to hospital would improve outcome.

Patterns of road traffic injuries in a vulnerable population in Hyderabad, India

Objective: To describe patterns of road traffic injuries (RTI) in a vulnerable population—pedestrians and users of motorized two-wheeled vehicles (MTVs)—in Hyderabad, India. Methods: 4019 pedestrians and 4183 MTV drivers provided...

Pattern of road traffic injuries: one year hospital-based study in Western Nepal

Road traffic injuries and deaths caused by motor vehicles is a growing public health problem all over the world. Inter-country or regional differences in the pattern of injury by road users have significant implications in determining prevention policies. The present study was conducted to evaluate the pattern of injuries in 217 hospitalized trauma patients admitted during 1 year, 2003. The majority of the injuries (54%) involved motorcycles. The highest incidence amongst the male population was in the age group of 16 – 30 years. Head and face injuries and injuries to the lower limbs comprised 58.1% and 50.7% of all injuries respectively. The bones of the lower limbs were most commonly fractured. To conclude, the traffic casualties of motorcyclists and pedestrians are considered a major problem and the preventive measures to reduce these transport-related injuries are discussed in this study.

Road Traffic Injuries Among Semi-Urban African Children: Assessment Of Severity With The Pediatric Trauma Score

Background: In Africa, road traffic injuries (RTI) have become significant causes of childhood morbidity and mortality. Nevertheless, trauma severity scoring is rarely applied in the management. Objectives: To evaluate the severity of childhood RTI using the Pediatric Trauma Score (PTS) in Ilesa; a semi-urban community in Southwest Nigeria. Methodology: A 12-month prospective study of consecutive children with RTI seen at the Children Emergency Room (CHER) of the Wesley Guild Hospital. Information was obtained and analysed regarding the pattern of RTI, the PTS and outcome. Results: A total of 263 children had RTI representing 8.0 percent of all CHER attendances. Pedestrians accounted for 60.8 percent cases. The mean PTS was 8.59 (± 2.85). Majority (63.5 percent) of the children sustained minor trauma (high PTS > 9). Statistically significant higher percentages of children who sustained major trauma (low PTS ≤ 8) were pedestrians, motorcycle victims, presented late, had penetrating, or multiple injuries, head injury, lost consciousness or convulsed. All 26 (9.9 percent) children who died following RTI (representing 17.6 percent of all CHER deaths) had low PTS (2.65 ± 3.02). All deaths were within 24 hours of RTI with no late deaths. Conclusions: RTI pose significant health hazard to children in the community studied. The PTS showed good relationship to RTI outcome. Because of its simplicity and reliability in assessing trauma severity and prognosis, we advocate its use for the evaluation of childhood RTI.

Pattern of road traffic injuries in Ghana: Implications for control

Road traffic injuries and fatalities are increasing in Ghana. Police-collected crash and injury data for the period 1994-1998 were aggregated and analyzed using the MAAP5 accident analysis package developed by the Transport Research Laboratory, U.K. Published results of recent transport-related epidemiological and other surveys provided an additional data source. According to the 1994-1998 police data, road traffic crashes were a leading cause of death and injuries in Ghana. The other leading causes of death and injuries are occupational injuries which involve nonmechanized farming and tribal conflicts. The majority of road traffic fatalities (61.2%) and injuries (52.3%) occurred on roads in rural areas. About 58% more people died on roads in the rural areas than in urban areas, and generally more severe crashes occurred on rural roads compared with urban areas. Pedestrians accounted for 46.2% of all road traffic fatalities. The majority of these (66.8%) occurred in urban areas. The second leading population of road users affected was riders in passenger-ferrying buses, minibuses and trucks. The majority of these (42.8%) were killed on roads that pass through rural areas. Pedestrian casualties were overrepresented (nearly 90%) in five regions located in the southern half of the country. Efforts to tackle pedestrian safety should focus on the five regions of the country where most pedestrian fatalities occur in urban areas. Policies are also needed to protect passengers in commercially operated passenger-ferrying buses, minibuses and trucks because these vehicles carry a higher risk of being involved in fatal crashes.

Patterns of road traffic injuries and associated factors among school-aged children in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

A study was conducted to describe the pattern of road traffic injuries and associated factors among schoolaged children attending public hospitals in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, between May and October 1999. The study included all children younger than 18 years, and data were collected using a structured interview guide. This article is based on an analysis of 286 children who sustained road traffic injuries out of a total of 1886 children presenting with various injuries during the study period. Almost 52% of these children were in primary school, with the most common age group between 5 and 9 years. A large majority of the children came from the poorer socio-economic residential areas of the city. Almost one-third of the victims and 36% of guardians were unaware of safer ways of walking on the road. Parents or guardians perceived the risk of road traffic injuries as low, with one-third thinking that they were not a major problem in their community. Similarly, two-thirds of guardians thought that collisions to children could not be prevented. This study demonstrates that road traffic injuries are a major problem among school-aged children in Dar es Salaam. Furthermore, the study reveals that there is significant ignorance about safe road usage among the parents or guardians of injured children, and that the majority of them think that collisions are not preventable. African Safety Promotion Vol.1(1) 2002: 37-41