A study of injury pattern and mode of accident of fatal injuries in RTA cases admitted in a tertiary care centre -3 year retrospective study

Road traffic accident ranks among the top causes of death in the world; after ischemic heart disease, it is projected to become the second leading cause in 2020. A report states that 1.24 million people die every year worldwide on the roads. RTA is a public health issue that greatly affects individuals, families, communities, and nations. The cost of burden is estimated to be around 1-2% of a country’s GNP in low-income countries. To know the pattern of fatal injuries in RTA cases. To correlate the survival period and cause of death in fatal road traffic accidents. Data from medico-legal autopsies of all RTA victims from 2018 to 2020 (n= 210) were collected in this retrospective study. Data were analyzed using SPSS software, V.22. The majority of the study population, 24.2% (51 out of 210), belonged to the 1-30 age group. Male predominance was noted in the study with 84.2% (177 out of 210). The type of accident was self-fall in high proportion 26.6% (56 out of 210) followed by a collision between 2-wheelers and 4-wheelers 24.2% (51 out of 210). Intracranial haemorrhage was reported in 140 (66.6%) study participants as the leading cause of death followed by hemorrhagic shock other than head and neck injury reported in 42 (19.9%) cases. A short revival period of fewer than 24 hours was noticed in intra-cranial haemorrhage (81 out of 140) followed by hemorrhagic shock other than head and neck injury (39 cases). Skull fractures are higher in 2-wheelers compared to other types of vehicles and pedestrians. (103 out of 140). The majority of fatal accidents occurred in two-wheelers. Hence, health education and awareness should be created among two-wheeler riders, especially drivers & pillion to wear helmets and follow safety measures while riding.