Socio-demographic analysis of injury pattern among road traffic accident victims admitted in a tertiary care hospital

Abstract

Background: Injuries and deaths due to road traffic accidents (RTAs) are one of the major public health problems across the globe especially in developing countries due to lack of comprehensive legislative measures. This loss of lives has immeasurable impact on the socio-economic output of the society. This study aimed to assess the factors and patterns of injuries related to RTAs.Materials and Methods: This is a hospital based retrospective cross sectional study conducted in the Department of Trauma Surgery in a tertiary care hospital. Victims of road traffic accidents attending casualty from 1st July to 31st December 2019 were studied.Results: Of 1442 RTA victims, maximum (29.47%) was in the age group of 20 to 29 years and 75.93% were male. 37.73% victims were using two wheelers while 26.05% using four wheeler. Most of the accidents (36.21%) took place in the evening (6 pm to 12 midnight). Most common site of injury was head, face & neck (35.64%) followed by lower limb (33.49%). 31.27% of involved drivers were under influence of alcohol during accident.Conclusion: Being in younger age group, male gender, evening time, drunk driving and driving hours on the road were positively associated with RTA. Preventive measures to reduce the burden of mortality and morbidity due to road accidents should be strengthened.