Blunt thoracic trauma in vehicular road accidents

In India, Road Traffic Accidents heavily rises due to tremendous increase of vehicles. Thereby fatalities due to vehicular accidents on road rises sharply. Truck, buses, car, jeep, motor cycle, scooter etc are responsible for accidents. Victims in vehicular accidents are pedestrians, occupants of vehicles, riders of two wheelers etc. The study was carried out at Government Medical College, Nagpur in the year 2000, and 90 autopsy cases were selected for study.

It was found that male were 86.6% and females 13.3%. Age group 21 – 30 years constituted 42. 2% followed by 31–40 years 26.6%. Maximum (40%) number of accidents occured between 6 p.m. to 12 p. m. The study revealed that heavy vehicles claimed 64.4% death and light vehicles 10.0% due to two wheeler 4.4%, unknown vehicle 17.7%. Pedestrian died were 46.6% followed by motor cyclist 18.8%. Multiple Thoracic Rib fractures were found in 91% cases, clavicle fracture in 33.3% cases. Pedestrian had 92% of rib fracture and occupant vehicles sustained 75% of rib fractures, two wheeler rider had 100% rib fracture. Lung injuries found in 74% case, haemothorax in 75%, heart injury in 22% cases. Isolated chest injury found in 4.4% cases, head and chest injury in 50%, chest and abdomen 41.1% chest and extremity 44.4% cases.

Major cause of death was due to shock and haemorrhage as result of multiple regional injuries were accounted in 46.6% of cases followed by head injuries in 35.5% of cases.