National Journal of Research in Community Medicine. Vol. 4. Issue 1. Jan-Mar. 2015 (101-105) Short Article
Epidemiology of Road Traffic Accidents (RTA) Reported at a Tertiary Care Hospital in Chennai V.V. Anantharaman1, M.Logaraj2 Date of Submission: 23.01.2015
Date of Acceptance: 14.02.2015
Abstract Background: Road traffic accidents happen to be a leading cause of death among young people. About 1.24 million people die each year due to road traffic accidents and cause considerable economic losses to victims and their families and nation at large. Objective: To study the epidemiological factors in Road traffic accident cases and the characteristics of the resultant injuries in Chennai metropolitan city. Materials and methods: The present cross sectional study was carried out at tertiary care hospital in Chennai. All the Road Traffic Accidents reported to Casualty Department for treatment for a period of one week were included in this Study. Results: Ninety percent of RTA victims were in the age group of 18-59 years and males to female ratio of 6:1. About 32% of the accidents took place between 18.01 hours to 24.00 hours and 63.6% of the type of accidents was sideways collision. Nearly 43.0 % of the vehicle was light motor vehicles. The common site of injury was lower extremities (45.4%). Road traffic accidents were fatal in 5.2% of the victims. Conclusion: In conclusion most of the victims of road traffic accidents were young males and productive age group with male to female ratio of 6:1. Young people need to be educated regarding Risk factors, Traffic rules and safety precautions. Key words: Epidemiology, Road traffic accidents, Tertiary hospital. Authors: 1 Associate 2
Professor
of
Community
Medicine,
Professor of Community medicine, Department of
Community Medicine, SRM Medical College Hospital & Research Centre, Kattankulathur-603203.
Corresponding Author: Dr.V.V.Anantharaman Associate professor of Community medicine SRM medical college Hospital & research Centre Kattankulathur -603203 Email:
[email protected]
Introduction The rapid urbanization and industrialization has
accidents happen to be a leading cause of death
resulted in a revolutionary increase in the
among young people. About 1.24 million people
number of motor vehicles globally which have
die each year due to road traffic accidents and
led to the increase in morbidity and mortality
cause considerable economic losses to victims
due to road traffic accidents especially in
and their families and nation at large.
developing countries like India. Road traffic
Estimated road traffic death rate per 100 000
[1]
101 ISSN - Print: 2277 – 1522, Online: 2277 – 3517 Epidemiology of RTA, V.V. Anantharaman et al. Click here for more articles: www.commedjournal.in
National Journal of Research in Community Medicine. Vol. 4. Issue 1. Jan-Mar. 2015 (101-105) population in India has increased from 16.8 in
of Road Traffic Accidents were obtained from
2009 to 18.9 in 2013. Over the last decade the
the accident register of casualty department of
incidence of accidental deaths has witnessed an
the hospital daily and then these patients were
increasing trend with an increase of 44.2% for
contacted in the trauma wards. Thus the study
the year 2011 as compared to 2001. This figure
included a total of 423 victims of Road Traffic
translates into one death on the Indian roads
Accidents. Using interview Technique as tool
every five minutes and is expected to escalate to
for data collection the demographic and injury
[2]
characteristics were recorded on a pre-designed
Between 1970 and 2010, the number of
proforma. The site and nature of injury were
accidents increased by 4.4 times with 9.3 times
recorded as reported in the case sheets of the
increase in fatalities and 7.5 times increase in
patients by the specialists. The statistical
the number of persons injured, while there was
analysis
an increase of 82 times in the number of
proportions.
one death every three minutes by 2020.
included
calculation
of
simple
registered motor vehicles and more than three times increase in the road network.
[3]
These
Results
Road traffic injuries depend on number of
A total of 423 cases of road traffic accidents
factors like Type of Accident, Colliding vehicle,
were reported during the study period of 1
site of impact etc. This study is important for
week. In this study majority of the victims
setting priorities for the prevention of such
(90.8%) were in the age group of 18-59 years
injuries. The mortality and morbidity data in
and males (85.8%). Among the victims of road
RTA depend on to which health care unit the
traffic accidents 32% of the accidents took place
victim reports for treatment. Thus the present
between 18.01 hours to 24.00 hours and 63.59%
cross sectional study was carried out to
of the type of accidents was sideways collision.
understand the various epidemiological factors
On analysis of the type of vehicle showed 43.02
in Road traffic accident
and the
% of the vehicle was light motor vehicles.
characteristics of the resultant injuries in
Majority of the injury was fracture (65.95%)
Chennai metropolitan city.
followed by multiple injury (18.91%).
cases
Materials and Methods
The
common site of injury was lower extremities (45.39%) followed by multiple sites injury
The present cross sectional study was carried out at tertiary care hospital in Chennai. All the Road Traffic Accidents reported to Casualty Department for treatment for a period of one week were included in this Study. The information about the patients admitted as cases
(26.96%). Road traffic accidents were fatal in 5.2% of the victims [table1]. Discussion Present study revealed most of the victims of road traffic accidents were young males and
102 ISSN - Print: 2277 – 1522, Online: 2277 – 3517 Epidemiology of RTA, V.V. Anantharaman et al. Click here for more articles: www.commedjournal.in
National Journal of Research in Community Medicine. Vol. 4. Issue 1. Jan-Mar. 2015 (101-105) Table1. Factors related to Road Traffic Accidents (RTA) Factors related to road traffic accidents Age distribution
