A Survey of Traumatic Brain Injuries from Road Traffic Collisions in a Lower Middle-Income Country

Abstract

The burden of traumatic brain injury (TBI) from road traffic collisions (RTCs) is great in low-and middleincome countries (LMICs) due to shortfalls in preventative measures, and the lack of relevant, accurate data collection. To address this gap, we sought to study the epidemiology of TBI from RTCs in two LMIC neurosurgical centres in order to identify factors amenable to preventative strategies. A prospective survey of all adult and paediatric cases of TBI from RTCs admitted to Northwest General Hospital (NWGH) and Hayatabad Medical Complex (HMC) over a four-week period was carried out. Data on patient demographics, risk factors, injury details, pre-hospitalisation details, admission details and post-acute care was collected and analysed. A total of 68 patients were included in the study. 18 (26%) of the patients were male and in the 30 to 39 age group. Fifty-two percent were two-wheeler riders and/or passengers. 51 (75%) of the RTCs occurred between 12 noon and 12 midnight and in rural areas (66.2%). The most commonly documented risk factor that led to the RTC was speeding (35.3%). Pre-hospital care was either absent or undocumented. Up to two-thirds of patients were not direct transfers, and most were transported in private vehicles (48.5%) arriving later than an hour after injury (94.1%). Less than half with documented disabilities were referred for rehabilitation (38.5%). There are still gaps in the prevention of TBI from RTCs and in relevant data collection. Data collection systems must be strengthened, and further exploratory research carried out in order to improve the prevention of TBI from RTCs.

Total Number of Rtas that were Brought to the Gujranwala Teaching Hospital's Trauma Center, along with their Results

“…The team ensured that the data collection tool captured all essential variables to facilitate a comprehensive analysis of the trauma cases. The emphasis was on accurately reflecting the severity and nature of the injuries, alongside the demographic characteristics of the patients, to enable a robust evaluation of the patterns and outcomes of trauma cases presented at the center (26,27). For the purpose of data analysis, the collected information was processed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software, version 25.…”