Pattern and Distribution of Cranio-cerebral Injuries in Fatal Road Traffic Accidents - A Cross Sectional Study

The mortality and morbidity related with road traffic accidents(RTA's) are increasing at an alarming rate throughout the world as a result of rapid industrialization and increase of fast moving vehicles combined with lack of traffic sense among road users and India is no exception for this. Thereby RTA's itself pose as a major epidemiological and medicolegal problem. Of all the regional injuries, those of the head are most common and account for 60% of fatal RTA's.

The present cross-sectional study was carried out on the victims of fatal RTA, to know the profile, sex and age wise distribution of victims, vehicles involved and pattern of cranio-cerebral injures who were autopsied at Chigateri General Hospital Mortuary, Davangere, for a period of two years from 1st Aug 2006 to 31st July 2008.

RTA fatalities constituted 22.2% of total unnatural deaths. Most of the victims were males (85.1%). Deaths were maximum in the age group of 21–40 years (52.27%). External injuries were predominantly found over the head (71.2%) and extremities (70.7%). Linear skull fracture (37.1%) was the commonest type located over the temporal bone (26.5%) and Sub dural hemorrhage SDH (39.1%) was the commonest intra cranial hemorrhage (ICH).

RTA's have become one of the major killers in recent times due to increase in the number of high speed vehicles along with congested roads, rash and negligent driving, violation of traffic rules, intoxicating influence of alcohol/drugs, inexperienced drivers and usage of mobile phones while driving. An attempt may be made to prevent these deaths by strict implementation of traffic rules, educating the public about road safety measures, usage of helmets, seat belts and airbag restraint system and by establishing trauma centers to treat the aggrieved swiftly and by referring them to nearest specialized centers without delay.