Pattern of External Injuries Suffered in Road Traffic Accidents: Helmeted Vs Non-Helmeted Cases in a Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital

ABSTRACT

Background: Motor Vehicle crashes are a noteworthy reason for casualty everywhere throughout the world. By 2020, engine vehicle damage is anticipated to wind up noticeably the third driving supporter of the worldwide weight of illness on the planet. Methods: The study was conducted for the period of one year and One hundred subjects were studied at SMBT Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre, Nashik.  Following information was collected from the study Type of Injuries (Grievous or Non-grievous), Alcohol smell present or absent, Number of Abrasions/ Bruises/Lacerations and Glasgow Coma Scale. Data was collected and tabulated. Statistical analysis was done. For quantitative data ‘t’ test was used and for qualitative chi-square test was used. The ‘p’ value <0.05 is considered as statistically significant. Results: Out of total 100 patients, 55 helmeted and 35 non-helmeted individuals, 22 and 23 persons sustained grievous injuries respectively. In case of helmeted individuals, the presence and absence of smell of alcohol was observed in 26 and 29 cases respectively. Out of 55 helmeted persons 54 persons sustained abrasions, 39 had bruises and 17 individuals had lacerations. The Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score between 3-7 and 8-15 of helmeted individuals were 20% and 80% of the individuals respectively. Conclusions: Grievous injury has been found more in non-helmeted individuals in comparison to helmeted individuals. Alcohol smell has been found more in helmeted individuals in comparison to non-helmeted individuals. The most common injury in helmeted individuals has been found to be abrasion. Lacerations have been found more in non-helmeted individuals. GCS of less than 7 was found to be in more in non-helmeted individuals in comparison to the helmeted individuals.