(N61) Traffic Injuries: Realities and Prospects in the Regional Hospital of Kebili, Tunisia

Abstract

Introduction:

Traffic injuries are a worldwide public health problem because they produce a high number of casualties. The goal of this study is to analyze the epidemiological factors of traffic injuries recorded in the Hôpital régional de Kebili to identify major injuries observed, and identify which are the prospects.

Methods:

This is a retrospective study on 520 observations of traffic injuries victims from January 2008 to December 2008.

Results:

Of 520 injured, 65% of the patients were between 14 and 39 years old, and 45% were between 40 and 65 years old. The sex ratio was M:F = 5.27. More than two-thirds of the patients received at least one medical investigation, 85% were radiological examinations.

The majority of patients received at least one medicine.

After emergency medical care was provided, 58% of patients returned home, 20% of the cases were sent to an outpatient specialist, 15% of those injured were hospitalized, and 5% were transferred to a university hospital. The lesions are dominated by head injury (27% of all injuries). Five of seven deaths that occurred at emergency department were due to cranial trauma.

Conclusions:

To reduce mortality and morbidity caused by traffic injuries, medical and paramedical training in the field of emergency medicine should be enhanced, and a reliable system of information and data collection must be established. All actors involved in responding to and treating traffic injuries must combine their efforts to develop a strategy for prevention and road safety.