October 2017 Vol. 5 No.10

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Original Research Article

Pattern and Mortality of Chest Injuries among Victims of Road Traffic Accidents in a Tertiary Hospital in North West Saudi Arabia

Mohammed Elnibras AM. Elnibras MD, *Ahmad A. A. Abdullah MD, Ibrahim A. Albalawi FRCSEd and Sara M. Elsiddig MD

Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tabuk, Saudi Arabia

*Corresponding Author’s E-mail: a.omer@ut.edu.sa
Cell Phone: +966538125386

Accepted October 09, 2017

Abstract

Injuries due to road traffic accidents (RTAs) and their associated morbidity and mortality constitute a major health problem in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and worldwide. This study aims to investigate the frequency, pattern and mortality of chest injuries among victims of RTAs in a tertiary hospital in Tabuk City in Northwest Saudi Arabia. This is a retrospective, descriptive hospital-based study conducted at King Khalid Hospital in Tabuk City between 2010 and 2015. The records of all patients who were involved in RTAs and sustained chest injuries and who were admitted to the hospital were retrieved. The pattern of chest injuries and their associated injuries in addition to the demographic features of the patients were determined. The study involved 378 patients most of whom were males who constituted 85.4% (male: female ratio = 5.9:1). Young patients (≤ 40 years) were 274 (72.5%) while elderly patients (>40 years) were 104 (27.5%). Rib fracture was the predominant type of chest injury observed in 274 patients representing 64.6%. Limb injury was the most common associated injury (35.2%). Most of the patients were admitted to the general ward (71.1%), most of them have stayed in the hospital for a week or less (57.7%) and most of them were discharged safely (57.7%) while 18 patients have died (4.8%). Associated injuries were commonly encountered with many types of chest injuries and have affected males more significantly than females (57.1% versus 7.75 respectively, P-value=0.04). Thoracic vertebral injury, pneumothorax and lung contusion were noted more significantly in young patients than in their elderly counterparts (P-value= 0.032, 0.035, 0.047 respectively). Chest injuries among victims of RTAs is frequently encountered in Tabuk City. The pattern of these injuries and their associated extra thoracic injuries is similar to other regions in the KSA.

Keywords: Chest injuries, Road traffic accidents, Associated injuries, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia