The Epidemiology of Prehospital Ambulance Crashes: A National Experience Across Saudi Red Crescent Authority

Abstract

Introduction Road traffic injuries (RTIs) have a significant impact on the healthcare system as well as the global economy. RTIs involving ambulance crashes not only cause delays in patient transfers but also endanger ambulance occupants and other road users. Due to the rising numbers of RTIs in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), the country's primary provider of prehospital services the Saudi Red Crescent Authority (SRCA) has established a new Trauma Epidemiology Center (TEC) following the KSA 2030 vision. Objective This current study was conducted to determine the causes and management-related aspects of RTIs involving ambulance crashes in KSA. We aim to highlight the current status and guide further efforts to fill gaps in knowledge and on-ground changes to prevent ambulance crashes, enhance patient care, and reduce morbidity and mortality. Method This is a descriptive, retrospective cross-sectional observational study of ambulance crashes in Saudi Arabia between January 2020 and July 2022. The data was extracted from the SRCA electronic database platform. Results One hundred and sixty accidents were recorded between 2020 and 2022 with the highest proportion of accidents recorded in Riyadh 44.29%; followed by the Eastern Province and Makkah, 15% and 12%, respectively. Ninety percent of ambulance crashes were due to direct collisions and caused by other parties in 58% of cases. It is worth mentioning that ambulance drivers fastened their seat belts in 99% of crashes. Conclusion This study highlights the epidemiology and distribution of prehospital ambulance crashes in the KSA. Most crashes occurred in urban areas with a reasonable contribution of the public in such crashes. Understanding contributing factors related to the vector, driver behaviors, and the surrounding environment is crucial to guide national preventive measures and help decision-makers to implement proper corrective actions.

Prevalence and Determinants of Road Traffic Accidents in Saudi Arabia: A Systematic Review

“…Socio-demographic characteristics of participants: The socio-demographic information of participants from nine distinct studies is included in Table 1, which summarises the large number of cases from references [20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28]. These studies' geographic scope is constrained because they were all selected within Saudi Arabia's regions, like the Aseer region [22], Al Kharj [23], Riyadh [24,26], Tabuk [25], Eastern Province [27], and Ha'il [28].…”

“…These studies' geographic scope is constrained because they were all selected within Saudi Arabia's regions, like the Aseer region [22], Al Kharj [23], Riyadh [24,26], Tabuk [25], Eastern Province [27], and Ha'il [28]. The research methodology of the reviewed studies [23,[25][26][27] used a cross-sectional design; one study [20] was Analysis of national data, and the others [21,22,24,28] were retrospective studies.…”

“…Accidental-related information and outcomes of the included participants: The aforementioned studies included the prevalence of RTAs in Saudi Arabia, the determinants of these accidents, and some outcomes (Table 2). Two studies by Alslamah, Thamer et al 2023 [20] and Alsofayan, Yousef Mohammad et al 2023 [21] explained in detail the prevalence of road traffic accidents among regions of Saudi Arabia. Riyadh was 25.3% and 44%, Mecca was 24.5% and 12%, and Medina was 6.4% and 7%, respectively.…”

“…According to Alslamah, Thamer et al 2023 [20], the collisions were 76%, roll-over caused around 15% of cases, and run-over caused 9%. Alsofayan, Yousef Mohammad et al 2023 [21] stated that 90% of the accidents were due to direct collision, 3% were due to running a red light, and 1% were because of bad road conditions. Al Babtain, Ibrahim et al 2022 [24] reported that 306 RTA were before the law on seat belts was implemented and 382 were after the implementation.…”

“…According to Alslamah, Thamer et al 2023 [20], age has an impact on the proportion of RTAs since RTAs are more common in younger persons. Additionally, Yousef Mohammad et al 2023 [21] noted that in order to direct national preventative efforts and assist decisionmakers in putting appropriate corrective steps into action, it is imperative that the relevant elements connected to the vector, driver behaviours, and the surrounding environment be taken into consideration. According to Algahtany, Mubarak Ali.2022 [22], there has been a consistent decrease in incidents with good consistency between police and health registration data as a result of speed restrictions and seat belt use.…”