Objective:
This study aimed to analyze the presence of lesions in the skull and face and the associated factors in
pedestrian victims of traffic accidents.
Methods:
A cross-sectional, descriptive-analytical study carried out through the analysis of medical records of pedestrian
victims of traffic accidents in an emergency service in the city of Campina Grande, Brazil, during the year of 2016. Information was collected regarding gender, age group, day of the week, time of the accident, type of vehicle involved,
presence of trauma to the skull and face, and outcome. The Chi-square and Fisher's Exact tests were used, with a significance level of 5%.
Results:
1,884 medical records were evaluated, of which 7.1% (n = 133) involved pedestrians. Men were the most frequent victims (68.4%), and victims 60 years old or over (30.5%) predominated. Almost one-third of the cases were recorded during the weekends (30.5%), and the most prevalent time was at night (52.7%). Regarding the type of vehicle involved, motorcycles predominated (47.4%). Head trauma was present in 37.6% of victims, while facial injuries corresponded to 8.2%. In 12% of cases, the victims died. The variables of gender, age group, occurrence on weekends, and
trauma to the face showed a statistically significant association with the occurrence of traffic accidents (Chi-square test;
p<0.05).
Conclusion:
Among pedestrian victims of traffic accidents, there is a predominance of men, aged 65 or over. Accidents
are frequent at night, and motorcycles are the main vehicles involved. The presence of trauma to the skull and face regions
is high.