Pattern of Injuries in Fatal Motorcycle Accidents Seen in Lagos State University Teaching Hospital: An Autopsy-Based Study

Abstract

BACKGROUND:Deaths from motorcycle accident injuries have remained a major public health issue in Nigeria over the years.AIM:The study is to determine the age and gender distribution of the victims and to identify the cause of death and the anatomical pattern of injuries seen.METHODOLOGY:This is a 5-year autopsy-based study of all motorcycle accident deaths seen in Lagos State University Teaching Hospital between December 2009 and November 2014. The data were retrieved from autopsy reports, hospital case notes extracts from police diary and were analysed using SPSS version 20.RESULTS:Motorcycle accidents accounted for 156 (2.8%) of all the autopsies done (5,661), and 156 (18.4%) of all Road Traffic Accidents (RTA) autopsies (849) performed over the study period, with a male: female ratio of 6:1. The peak age of victims was 31-40 years (30.9%). Head injuries accounted for most (41.4%) of the injuries seen, and the majority of the victims died of craniocerebral injury 53 (50.7%).CONCLUSION:This study showed that males in the fourth decade of life are the major victims of motorcycle accident death. The majority of the victims were the rider of the motorcycle. Most of them died of the craniocerebral injury.

Epidemiology of head injuries and helmet use among motorcycle crash injury: a quantitative analysis from a local hospital in Western Kenya

“…This is similar to other studies where the majority of patients involved in motorcycle crash were aged between 20 and 29 years [10]. In contrary one study done in Lagos Nigeria reported the majority of motorcycle crash injury victims to be the age of 31 - 40 years [11]. The reason why the youth are involved in commercial motorcycle could be explained by the fact that at this age group majority are engaged in productive activities predisposing to risks of being involved in road traffic crashes.…”

“…Among the road user category, motorcycle riders comprised (49%), followed by the passengers (35%) and then the pedestrians (16%). Similar observation was made in Lagos Nigeria where they looked at the patterns of injuries in fatal motorcycle crashes [11]. The increased likelihood of motorcycle occupants to sustain injuries in the event of a crash is because there is no protection over the inherently unstable motorcycle.…”

When walking is bad for your back: a cohort study of risk factors for traumatic spinal injury in Abuja

“…Underrepresentation of motorcycle crash data in the Tauma Registry is possibly an upshot of riders' efforts to avoid formal medical assessment and potential legal citation, which could lead to vehicle confiscation [38, 42]. A greater likelihood than reported of TSI for motorcycle, tricycle, or bicycle riders involved in crashes is possible, due to the increased vulnerability both of the rider's head/neck (related to limited helmet use [43-45]) and of the back [46].…”

Whats new in emergencies trauma and shock? Autopsy in fatal head injuries

“…[ 2 ] The study[ 2 ] supports the existing evidence that the most of victims were young males in their productive age group and sustained a fatal head injury in road traffic accidents and only few of them reached the hospital in golden hour (in the present study, only 8% met the same). [ 3 4 5 6 7 ] It is interesting to note that all these patients were alive at the time of presentation to the hospital but sustained fatal injuries in varying severity and combinations. [ 2 ]…”

“…[ 2 ] Another concern is that 50% of the victims had injuries to the chest, abdomen, and long bones[ 2 ] which are known to worsen the outcome in these patients. [ 3 5 6 8 ]…”