Secular Trend, Seasonal Variation, Epidemiological Pattern, and Outcome of Traumatic Head Injuries Due to Road Traffic Accidents in Aseer, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Road traffic accidents (RTAs) are a leading cause of traumatic head injury (THI) and are regarded as a public health problem in Saudi Arabia. This hospital-based retrospective study aims to provide data on the frequency, type, and distribution of RTA-related THIs over the past decade; demonstrate their time trend and seasonality; and decipher age and sex differences in RTA-related THIs and their outcome. The results showed a decline in the number of RTA-related THIs between 2010 and 2019. The patients had a mean age of 26.16 ± 16.27 years, and the male-to-female ratio was 10.8:1. Head injury with multiple lesions was the most common diagnosis, followed by cerebral contusion and skull fracture (32.1%, 12.9%, and 11.2%, respectively). Subdural hematoma (SDH) and skull fracture were significantly more common in patients aged ≥60 years (standard residual > 1.96), and significantly less common in those aged ≤17 years (standard residual < 1.96), compared to other age groups. Males experienced significantly more SDHs than females (standard residual = −2.8, p = 0.029). The length of hospital stay was positively correlated with age (Spearman’s rho = 0.057, p = 0.046). No seasonal variation was found.

Pattern and In-Hospital Mortality of Thoracoabdominal Injuries Associated with Motor Vehicle Accident-Related Spinal Injury: A Retrospective Single-Center Study

“…Motor vehicles are the primary transportation method in Saudi Arabia, leading to many MVA-related injuries and mortalities over the past two decades [ 14 , 15 ]. It is estimated that MVAs cause four injuries hourly and nineteen deaths daily in the country [ 16 ].…”

“…The very high male percentage reported here is coherent with other studies from Saudi Arabia [ 21 , 26 ]. The explanation is likely cultural and legislative factors, including a previous pan on women driving, rather than anatomical or physiological factors [ 15 ].…”

The comparative analysis of SARIMA, Facebook Prophet, and LSTM for road traffic injury prediction in Northeast China

“…Monthly trends in the number of RTIs inpatients in Jilin Province from 2015 to 2020 show a clear seasonal pattern. The number of RTIs reported from other regions in China also showed a clear seasonal pattern, but the high incidence season was different (35)(36)(37)(38). The reasons for this difference may be the result of a combination of factors such as the length of daylight, alcohol consumption, recreational driving, and possible inclement weather (39).…”

Traumatic Brain Injury Cases' Mortality Predictors, Association, and Outcomes in the Emergency Department at a Tertiary Healthcare Center in Saudi Arabia

“…Following that, encouraging observation with steady declines noted in cases of RTA-related TBI was reported from Asser Province in Saudi Arabia, indicating reductions in the number of cases per year from 203 in 2010 to 45 in 2019, replacing RTA for falls as the primary cause of TBI after 2016 in their study. 2 A large proportion of the reported casualties from TBI are observed in pedestrians worldwide. In low-and middleincome countries, over half of deaths are of vulnerable road users, including pedestrians that are particularly vulnerable to serious head trauma.…”

“… 1 Road traffic accidents (RTAs) mostly affect young males, ranking first among the causes of disability-adjusted life in the age group of 10 to 49 years. 2 Trauma patients with head injury have a 10-fold higher mortality than in those without it. 3 Incidence of TBI is still globally increasing due to the wider use of motor vehicles in low-middle income countries with a notable increase in fall-related injuries among older people in high-income countries.…”