1Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, AIIMS, Raipur
2Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, AIIMS, Bhubaneswar
3Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, AIIMS, Raebareli
*Corresponding Author: Dr. Utkal Keshari Suna: Senior Resident, Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, AIIMS, Raipur. Email: utkal13@gmail.com
Online published on 5 August, 2022.
Road Traffic Accident (RTA), in this era of urbanization, have emerged as a global health hazard because of the morbidity and mortality associated with them. In an RTA, often the thoracic injuries go unnoticed and are overlooked because of the resilient nature of the thoracic wall, which leads to the late detection of injuries and their fatal outcomes.
To evaluate the pattern of thoracic injuries in RTA and to find out the epidemiological parameters involved in RTA.
In this autopsy based cross sectional study, 85 victims of fatal RTA were studied between 1st July 2019 to 31st December 2020 in the mortuary of AIIMS, Bhubaneswar. All the fatal RTA cases coming for autopsy were included in the study except decomposed and mutilated cases.
In this study, male two-wheeler drivers, belonging to the age group 21–40 years were most vulnerable to RTAs. Maximum number of RTAs were reported during Winter season. Inter-city roads witnessed majority of the RTAs and two-wheelers were the most common offending agent. Most of the RTAs occurred during late evening i.e., 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Forty-three victims had chest injury after a RTA. Abrasion was the most common external chest injury followed by contusion. Fracture of thoracic skeleton was the major internal chest injury followed by chest wall contusion and injury to vital intrathoracic organ. 58% of the victims, who had chest injury, had a fractured rib. 37% of the RTA victims had collection in the pleural cavity either in the form of Hemothorax or Pneumothorax. Lung was the most common vital intrathoracic organ to be injured in RTA. Head injury was the most common cause of death followed by hemorrhage and shock.
This study emphasizes the importance of increasing road safety awareness, strictly enforcing traffic rules, establishing an advanced trauma response system, and providing well-equipped mobile ambulatory service to reduce the morbidity and mortality resulting from road traffic accidents.
Chest injuries, Road Traffic Accident, Injury pattern, Medicolegal autopsy, Blunt trauma
