Road Traffic Accident Fatality Predictors: A Case-Control Study in Isfahan

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Traffic accidents are the most important cause of trauma and mortality in communities. Due to the limited information in this field about Isfahan, a metropolitan in the center of Iran, this study investigates and identifies the epidemiological characteristics of fatal traffic accidents in this city. Methods: This is a case-control study conducted on hospitalized patients due to traffic accidents in 2016-2017. Lethal accidents (n = 189) were considered cases, and a group of survivors (n=189) was the control. The demographic and clinical characteristics of the population were gathered, and compared between the cases and controls. Logistic regression assessment was applied to determine the factors associated with death. Results: Logistic regression assessments revealed that facial and head trauma, chest trauma, abdominal trauma, pelvic trauma, lower extremity trauma, surgical procedure requirement within 12 hours after the accident and intubation were the prognostic factors associated with fatality. Conclusions: According to the findings of this study, mortality due to accidents was independently associated with facial and head, chest, abdominal, pelvic and lower extremity traumas, intubation requirement, and surgery within the first 12 h after the accident. Besides, aging was inversely associated with the chance of survival following a road accident.