Exploring characteristics and severity of road traffic injuries in Lebanon using emergency department hospital-based data
Langue
EN
Article de revue
Ce document a été publié dans
Scientific Reports. 2024-10-17, vol. 14, n° 1, p. 24331
Résumé en anglais
In Lebanon, the lack of quality data on road traffic injuries (RTIs) led to the implementation of a hospital-based RTI surveillance system by the Ministry of Health in in private and public-run hospitals in the Bekaa ...Lire la suite >
In Lebanon, the lack of quality data on road traffic injuries (RTIs) led to the implementation of a hospital-based RTI surveillance system by the Ministry of Health in in private and public-run hospitals in the Bekaa governorate. This paper aims to describe the characteristics and severity of RTIs recorded over two years during the pilot phase. It also assesses the strengths and challenges of the surveillance system, highlighting areas for enhancement. The data collected from the Emergency department (ED) was used to conduct a retrospective analysis of population-based injuries hospitalized for road traffic crashes (RTC). Designated focal persons reported injuries weekly using a standardized form, which included demographic and crash-related variables, body lesions, and vital signs. Data were coded per the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10), entered into Epidata, and analyzed using SPSS. The RTI surveillance system was assessed using Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis. Over two years, a total of 1576 cases of RTIs were reported. The male-to-female ratio was 2.16 and the majority of RTIs (44.4%) were recorded among those aged between 15 and 29 years old. From 2013 to 2015, a decrease of 0.7% in the revised trauma score (RTS < 4) was recorded. On the contrary, an increase of 3.9% in injury severity score (ISS) that ranged between 15 and 75 was reported. The probability of survival of an injured individual at one month was improved. The hospital-based surveillance system demonstrated strengths in structured data collection and ethical considerations but faced challenges like underreporting, limited coverage, and resource constraints. Recommendations for improvement include enhancing data quality and timely reporting, ultimately supporting evidence-based road safety interventions.< Réduire
Mots clés en anglais
Humans
Accidents
Traffic
Lebanon
Female
Male
Emergency Service
Hospital
Adult
Adolescent
Middle Aged
Young Adult
Wounds and Injuries
Retrospective Studies
Child
Child
Preschool
Aged
Infant
Injury Severity Score
Unités de recherche