Trend of Injury Severity and Road Traffic-Related Mortality in an Arab Middle Eastern Country: A 12-Year Retrospective Observational Study.

Road traffic injuries (RTIs) significantly contribute to disability and death in Qatar. This observational study aimed to explore RTI mortality and injury severity trends from 2011 to 2022. Data from the national trauma database were analyzed retrospectively for mortality rates, injury severity, and characteristics of the injured populations over the years (2011-2022). RTIs represented around 61.3% ( = 12,644) of 20,642 trauma hospitalizations over 12 years. The aggregate RTI mortality rate decreased from 12 to 8 per 100,000 persons, with a mean patient age of 31.8 years. The sum of deaths was 2464, comprising 1022 (41%) in-hospital and 1442 (59%) out-of-hospital fatalities. Among in-hospital deaths, bike-related mortalities totaled 35 (3%), motorcycle-related mortalities 53 (5%), motor vehicle mortalities 561 (55%), and pedestrian mortalities 373 (36%). Based on the injury severity score (ISS), RTIs were divided into four categories, namely, mild (ISS: 1-9), moderate (ISS: 10-15), severe (ISS: 16-24), and fatal (ISS: 25-75). The ISS ranged from 12 to 14, while the median ranged from 10 to 12. The injury frequency showed that mild injuries comprised 40.6% (4545), moderate injuries 26.2% (2934 subjects), and severe 16.7% (1873 subjects). Profound injuries accounted for 13.3% (1490 subjects). Severe and fatal injuries combined dropped from 30% in 2011 to 25% by 2022. Inversely, moderate injuries increased from 24% to 30%, representing a downward trend of the injury severity. Motorcycle-related injuries rose from around 3% to 28% between 2011 and 2022. Motor vehicle and pedestrian injuries declined from about 67% to 54% and 27% to 15%, respectively. Winter, Autumn, Spring, and Summer accounted for 27%, 26%, 24%, and 23% of the total injuries (11,153), respectively. RTI in-hospital mortality and injury severity decreased over the study period. Injury prevention programs should target frequent injury seasons and high-risk populations, such as motorcyclists.