Fatality By Thoraco-Abdominal Injuries In Cases Of Accidental Deaths In Two-Wheeler Riders: A 200 Cases Study

Abstract

Background: To assess the fatality by thoraco-abdominal injuries in cases of accidental deaths in two-wheeler riders.

Materials & methods: A total of 200 post-mortems autopsies of road traffic accident subjected to medico-legal autopsy were analysed. Road traffic accident was defined as an accident, which took place on the road between two or more objects, one of which must be any kind of a moving vehicle. The data were compiled with a focus on the analysis of injuries in the thoraco-abdominal region with special reference to the nature of the wound and organs most commonly affected in road traffic accidents and epidemiological factors in relation to victims, vehicles, and sites of impacts, etc.

Results: Out of 200 subjects, 179 subjects were males while the remaining were females. Mean age of the subjects was 31.5 years. Liver was lacerated in 41 percent of the patients while spleen laceration occurred in 16 percent of the patients. Kidney laceration was seen in 12 percent of the patients while stomach puncture was seen in 18 percent of the patients. Vertebra injury was seen in 9 percent of the patients.

Conclusion: Major proportion of road traffic accidents affect young and productive males. Since road users are not uniform population, these are exposed to different kinds of hazards depending upon conditions prevailing in that region.