Pattern of Injury and Outcome of Tok-Tok Accident Victims with Focus on Abdominal Injuries in Sohag Governorate: an Epidemiological Study

Abstract

Background: Road traffic accidents are one of the major causes of severe injuries and even death. Tok-Tok is a light weight, flexible and open vehicle designed to carry three adult passengers and a driver. Tok-Tok is one of the widely used means of transportation in Egypt nowadays. Aim: This study aimed to study the types and severity of the Tok-Tok accident-related injuries in Sohag Governorate. Patients and Methods: A Crosssectional, hospital based study, done in Sohag University Hospitals from 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2021. The study included 100 victims who sustained Tok-Tok accidents. Data about victims were collected including demographic profile; accident data and clinical data. Results:The mean age of the study population was 34.3±15.4 years, and 2/3 of them were males. The driver of the Tok-Tok himself was the victim in 25% of the cases and the passenger in 39% of the cases.Rural victims accounted for 56% of the total cases. Among the drivers, only 28% had driving license, and around one third of them were drug addicts. The mean time lag between trauma and hospital arrival was around 1.25 hours. Regarding the injured parts of the victims, head and neck were the most commonly injured parts followed by upper limbs. Half of the cases treated conservatively. Conclusion: Tok-Tok accidents are more common among young and middle aged males at rural areas. The severity of Tok-Tok injuries are associated with head and neck trauma, need for surgical treatment and/or ICU admission and longer hospital stay.