A cross sectional study on pattern of organs fatally damaged in road traffic accidents in Mangalore during the year 2015: Autopsy-based study

Introduction: The statistical profile speculates worldwide forecast of 5.1 million deaths in the year 2000 which accounted for 10% of deaths due to all causes. Amongst these, a quarter of injuries related deaths happened in the South-East Asian regions.[1] Road traffic accidents are known to cause human loss as well as socioeconomic burden to the society at large. The cause and effect relations in road traffic accidents need meticulous care to sort out offending factors and deliver proper solutions. Research Questions Objectives: 1) To assess the pattern of organs fatally damaged during road traffic accidents in Mangalore during the year 2015 2) To identify socio demographic pattern of those exposed to fatal injuries. 3) To forward practicable recommendation for policy makers and service providers. Study Design: Descriptive cross-sectional autopsy-based retrospective study. Study Setting: The study was performed in Department of Forensic Medicine, Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore. Participants: 191 Victims of road traffic accidents in Mangalore in 2015 Results: Share of road traffic accident among the post mortem done in the year 2015 was 21%. Male victims constitute 86% and female 14%. Age group of 21 to 30 exposed to RTA accounts for 22% followed by age group of 41 to 50 accounting for 20%. Among vehicular share of inflicting road traffic accidents, motorized two wheelers constitute 45% followed by 4-wheeler and truck 43%. Among victims exposed to road traffic accident, non-pedestrian accounts to 59% and pedestrian 41%.Death on arrival and/or after hospitalization accounts for 88%. Opinion deduced out of all the cases cranio cerebral injury accounted for 70% of cause of death in road traffic accident.