This is a retrospective study carried out in Rohilkhand Medical College and Hospital, Bareilly to study the injury characteristics, management and outcome of road traffic accidents and factors responsible for these injuries.

Background

Urbanization has led to an increased number of vehicles on the roads. This together with an extreme apathy on the part of authorities to implement traffic rules has led to a phenomenal rise in the number of road traffic accidents. Lack of a proper pre-hospital care system has only added to the woes. Thus, the need for this study.

Material Methods

All case records of road traffic accident victims admitted to the hospital between January and
December 2013 were analyzed statistically with respect to their demographic profile, injury characteristics, management and outcome. The revised trauma score was used to assess the patients and study its reliability in predicting mortality at the time of presentation to the casualty.

Results

This study showed that the majority of crash victims were males in the age group 21-40 years accounting for huge economic losses for their families and the country at large. Motorized
two-wheeler accounted for 62.5% of the accidents. Musculoskeletal injuries (57.5%) were the most common injuries, followed by those to the face, neck, and head. Local wound treatment (72%) was the most common surgical procedure performed. About 12.5% of the trauma victims did not survive their injury.

Conclusion

Road traffic accidents are preventable. Strict traffic laws and penalties have to be imposed to curb this ever growing menace.