Abstract
Background: In Saudi Arabia, road traffic accidents are becoming a serious health problem due to its rapid expansion of road construction and increase in the number of vehicles.
Aim: To find the pattern of injuries in road traffic accidents.
Methods: This prospective study was conducted in Ar'ar Central Hospital, Saudi Arabia from Jan to June 2018. All the patients with road traffic accidents who remained admitted for more than 24 hours were included in the study. The data was collected on a structured proforma. The information was obtained on variables such as socio-demographic profile, mechanism of injury and time at which the accident occurred. Medical records of the victims were reviewed to obtain information regarding body region injured and types of injury.
Results: Out of 124 persons, the majority of the injured were males (88%) aged between 20-40 years (53.2%). Over speeding was the most common reported cause of accident (62.1 %). There was statistically significant (p=0.016) difference between the different age groups regarding the reported time of the accidents. Limbs were the commonest site for injuries (41%), followed by Head and neck (24.2%).
Conclusion: Over speeding by young males is a critical factor in RTA. Fractures are the commonest injuries and limbs are the most frequently injured site in road traffic accidents.