ABSTRACT
Background: Motorcycles are an emerging means of public transportation in many developing countries and has a poor safety record when compared to other road users. Subsequently; motorcycle injuries have been on the rise and head injuries are the leading cause of death; severe injury and disability globally.Objectives: To determine the injury patterns and mortality rate of motorcycle-related head injuries. Design: A retrospective descriptive study. Setting: Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital Subjects: All motorcycle-related head injuries from the year 2010 to 2013. Results: One hundred and fourteen files were reviewed. The study sample was predominantly male (n=106; 93%) with a mean age of 30.2 years (SD=14.01). More than half of the patients sustained skull fractures and intra-cranial haemorrhage (n=68; 59.6%). About 9.6% (n=11) of the patients succumbed to their injuries out of which 63.6% (n=7) sustained severe head injuries. There was a significant association between helmet use and the mortality rate of patients (?2=5.684; p=0.017). The use of helmets also had an influence on the type of injury sustained (p=0.004) as patients not wearing helmets sustained more serious injuries such as skull fractures; intra-cranial bleeding; cerebral oedema and diffuse axonal injuries.Conclusion: There is a relationship between helmet use; the type of injury sustained and the mortality rate of the patients. Hence; the need for public education programmes on motorcycle safety and helmet use to curb the negative impact of motorcycle-related injuries on the society and economy