Frequency of traumatic patients, referring (by trauma) to emergency departments of Imam Khomeini and Golestan hospitals, Ahvaz in 2016-2017

Background: Trauma caused by vehicle accidents, falling and quarrel are the main reasons for referral to hospital emergency rooms. Seemingly components such as age, gender, type of vehicle, and individual’s education level are influential in the injury type and severity. In this study, the epidemiology of types of trauma and the factors affecting the injury type and severity were investigated.

Methods: This descriptive-analytic study was on trauma patients referred to Golestan and Imam Khomeini hospitals in Ahvaz during 2016-2017. A checklist was used to record the required information, including age, gender, type of trauma, accident location, the affected organ, injury severity and treatment outcome (death, type of disability, and so on). The results were analyzed using appropriate statistical tests.

Results: The mean age of 608 patients was 29.5 ± 15.69 years, the transferred patients to the hospital by Emergency Medical Services (EMS) were 51.2%. Trauma mechanism in 54 (8.9%), 73 (12%), and 481 (79.1%) patients included fall, quarrel, and motor vehicle crash, respectively. The most common organs damaged were limbs (56.1%) and head (37.5%), respectively. A total of 35 patients (5.8%) left the hospital with personal consent, and 11 (1.8%) died. In one, four and six patients, the trauma mechanism was falling, motorcycle riding, and car occupants, respectively. No significant difference was seen in the age, gender and trauma mechanism between the dead and the survivors.

Conclusions: The most common trauma mechanism is motor vehicle accidents. Most groups exposed to traumatic injuries are young men. More coherent measures are needed to prevent these injuries.