[Trauma: an epidemiological study from a single institute in Ahvaz, Iran]

ABSTRACT

This prospective study was conducted to evaluate the characteristics and outcomes of trauma patients attending the emergency department of a university hospital in Ahvaz- Iran [2000]. We identified all trauma admissions due to blunt and penetrating injuries. Data were collected from emergency departments and intensive care log books at Golestan hospital by on-site data collectors. The total number of patients included in the study was 1141; of these, 952 [83.4%] were males. The mean age of the study sample was 26.7 +/- 17 years [range, 1- 84 years]. Injuries were predominantly of the blunt type [91.8%], with only a small percentage of penetrating injuries [8.2%]. The most common cause of injury was traffic accidents [59%]. There were a total of 96 deaths [8.4%], and only a small number had an ISS of injury, most deaths were caused by traffic accidents [71 patients-74%] and falls [16 patients- 16.7%]. The high frequency of traffic [especially pedestrian] accidents suggests that considerable effort is required for preventing these injuries