Injuries and patterns of victims of motorcycle traffic accidents admitted to a regional emergency unit

Abstract

Objectives: To characterize the victims of motorcycle accidents treated at a Regional Emergency Unit (Unidade Regional de Emergência — URE) and describe their injuries. Methods: Observational and descriptive study. In the periods from August to December 2019 and June to August 2020, demographic data, the mechanism of injury, the location and severity of injuries and the prognosis of patients treated at the URE were analyzed. Trauma scores (Revised Trauma Score [RTS] and Injury Severity Score [ISS]) for severity and prognosis were applied. All data were recorded on standardized forms and statistically evaluated. Results: Of the 98 cases analyzed, 78% were male, with an average age of 31 years. The most frequent mechanism of injury was motorcycle versus motor vehicle accident, representing 57.1% of cases, followed by a fall from the motorcycle, with 27.6%. The most frequent injuries were abrasions (60.4%), followed by fractures (23.1%). The lower limbs were the most affected sites (40.3%). The ISS varied from 0 to 11, with a mode of 1, and 97.9% of the victims presented RTS equal to 7.8 with a probability of survival of 98.8%. Conclusion: There was a predominance of young males, with low severity injuries, and the most affected sites were the lower limbs, most of them showing abrasions. Even with a low severity and high probability of survival, these injuries can cause long periods of incapacity at work and cause costs to the health system, demonstrating the need for actions to prevent these events.