Speed Thrills But Kills: Pattern of Injuries in RTA
Road traffic accidents (RTA) result in more deaths than communicable diseases with annual estimate of up to 1.2 million deaths; the number of injured in RTAs is exponentially higher. The severity of injury in RTA depends on various factors such as speed of the vehicle, the impact and extent of injury as well as the severity of injury. Severity of injury depends on extent of tissue damage. Patterns of injuries in RTA are described on the basis of Injury Severity Score (ISS). The scores can give information ranging from anatomical site of injuries to patient’s outcome. The mean age of casualties in RTA is 35, with male preponderance. Most commonly observed injuries are limb injuries, constituting up to 77 % of all injuries in RTA. Bicyclists constituent majority of deaths in RTAs due to lesser degree of protection as compared to closed vehicles, followed by pedestrians. Among fatal injuries, head trauma is the most common culprit. Neck injuries constituent approximately 14.7% of injuries in RTA that results in death. Autopsies also revealed injuries to thorax and lower limb as cause of death in RTAs. Source 1. Patterns of injuries from road traffic crashes https://www.ljmsonline.com/article.asp?issn=2588-9044;year=2020;volume=4;issue=2;spage=94;epage=95;aulast=Muguku 2. Study of Patterns of Injuries by Road Traffic Accidents http://medicopublication.com/index.php/ijfmt/article/view/15 Image from https://firstaidforlife.org.uk/road-traffic-accident/