Demographic profile of fatal Cranio-cerebral injuries: a study from institute of rural central India

The present study deals with the demographics of the fatal cases of cranio-cerebral injuries occurring in the rural parts of Central India. The present study was carried out at Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Sevagram, District-Wardha during the period of October 2002 to September 2004. All consecutive cases of fatal medico-legal cranio-cerebral injuries were included in present study. The details about age, sex, time of injury, time of mortality, type of vehicle were carefully studied and filled in a predesigned proforma. There were a total 150 cases (rural residential address-124 cases, urban residential address-26 cases) of fatal head injuries in the present study, 78% male and 22% were female. Most of the cases (56.6%) of fatal head injuries were young adults in the age group of 21-40 years. Most of the fatalities (51.33%) because of head injuries were within 24 hours and it was worrisome that 24 (16.7%) cases expired at the scene of accident. Due to a combination of factors, including rapid motorization, poor road and traffic infrastructure as well as the behavior of road users, the morbidity and mortality burden in developing countries is rising and this is the time where an organized team work by people in many disciplines like education, engineering, medical, law enforcement agencies required for effective prevention of road traffic accidents.