1Assistant Professor, Department of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, Basaveshwara Medical College & Hospital, Chitradurga
2Assistant Professor, Department of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, Navodaya Medical College, Raichur
3Post Graduate Scholar, Department of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, Basaveshwara Medical College & Hospital, Chitradurga
Deaths due to Road Traffic Accidents (RTAs) are increasing at an alarming rate & posing a major epidemiological and medico-legal problem. Victims in RTAs sustain various injuries, of which head injuries play a major role. Present study was conducted to know the pattern of skull fractures & intracranial hemorrhages in fatal RTAs.
Present cross-sectional study was carried out on the victims of fatal RTAs with head injuries, by conducting autopsy at mortuaries of Basaveshwara Medical College and District Hospitals, Chitradurga.
Most common single type of external injuries over face and head included abrasions in 66% and lacerations 64% cases. Dura mater was torn in 80%cases & 20% cases had intact dura mater.72% cases presented with skull fracture and all the victims (100%) presented with intracranial haemorrhage and injury to brain parenchyma and 30% cases developed cerebral oedema. The most common type of brain injury noted was contusions in 52% cases. Fissured fracture was seen in 58% cases, followed by comminuted fracture in 14% & sutural in 6%. Subarachnoid hemorrhage was seen in 90% cases, of which 26% cases was in the age group of 31–40 years.
This study made an effort to study the pattern of head injuries and intracranial haemorrhages leading to death in road traffic accidents. Appropriate preventive measures should be adopted to reduce head injury related deaths in road traffic accidents in the future.
Fatal RTA, intracranial haemorrhage, skull fracture, head injury, autopsy
