Tehran University Medical Journal (Oct 2003)
The Comparison Of Characteristics Among Injured Pedestrians And Car Occupants (Tehran, 1996-97)
Abstract
This article is to verify mortality rate, cause of death, severity of injury (ISS),GCS, patient fate in hospital, pattern of specific organ injuries and some other characteristics among injured pedestrians and car occupants referred to three trauma centers in Tehran (Sina hospital, Shohada Tajrich hospital, Fayazbakhsh hospital) from May 1996 until May 1997."nMaterials and Methods: 57367 patients were admitted to emergency department of these centers among which, 6027 victims of motor-vehicle accidents were included in this study."nResults: 71% of cases were pedestrians and rest was car occupants. M/F ratio was 1.8/5. Mean age was 29y. Motor vehicle accidents occurred most commonly during nights. The patients' GCS at arrival in emergency department had similar distribution in both groups. The most commonly injured organs in both groups were: integument, head and neck, extremities and bony pelvis. Thoracic and spinal injuries were more common among car occupants. Extremities and boney pelvis injuries were more common among pedestrians. The mortality rate was the same between both groups. Mortality rate was affected by GCS at arrival and severity of injury. Mortality rate among the old was 4 times the rate among the children. The accidents most commonly occurred on metropolitan roads and streets. The most common cause of death between both groups was head injury. Surprisingly head injury was a more common cause of death among the car occupants."nConclusion: Pattern of specific organ injuries was different form the pattern in previous studies as the pattern was virtually the same between both groups except for spinal and thoracic injuries were more common among the car occupants.
