Severe traffic injuries in the Helsinki Trauma Registry between 2009-2018.

OBJECTIVE

The European Union (EU) has adopted the Vision Zero and Safe System approach to eliminate deaths and serious traffic injuries on European roads by 2050. Detailed information on serious injuries, injury mechanisms and consequences are needed. The aim of this study was to describe and compare by injury mechanism the demographics, injuries, injury severity, and treatment of seriously injured road traffic trauma patients.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We analysed data on severe traffic injury trauma patients aged ≥16 years of the Helsinki Trauma Registry (HTR) covering the years 2009-2018. The variables analysed were basic patient demographics, injury mechanism, Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) codes, injured body regions, patient Injury Severity Score (ISS) and New Injury Severity Score (NISS) values, NISS groups (NISS 16-24 and NISS ≥25), AIS 3+ injuries, trauma bay and 30-day mortality, length of stay (LOS) at ICU and in hospital, surgeries performed, pre-injury classification, and intention of injury.

RESULTS

A total of 1 063 traffic injury patients were analysed; 38.6% were motor vehicle occupants, 28.5% motorcyclists or moped drivers, 17.2% bicyclists, and 15.7% pedestrians. The mean age of patients was 44.3 years (SD 20.2). Median ISS score was 22 and median NISS score was 27. Both scores were highest in pedestrians. Among all patients, total hospital LOS was 12 517 days (median 9) and total ICU LOS was 6 311 days (median 5). The most common AIS 3+ injuries according to ISS body regions were chest injuries (60%) and head or neck injuries (43.7%). Chest injuries occurred more frequently in motorcyclists and motor vehicle occupants, whereas head or neck injuries were most common among bicyclists and pedestrians.

CONCLUSIONS

Severely injured pedestrians and bicyclists were older and they had higher mortality than motorcyclists and motor vehicle occupants. According to NISS, the overall severity was highest among pedestrians followed by bicyclists. However, the both median ICU LOS and hospital LOS were highest for pedestrians but lowest for bicyclists. The most common AIS 3+ injuries were chest and head or neck injuries. To specify effective injury prevention measures, hospital data should be complemented with information on the circumstances of the accident.