Abstract:
Background: - Road traffic accidents worldwide are estimated to claim the lives of 1.4 million people
per year and injure additional 20–50 million. By 2050 the International Futures (IFs) forecasting model
anticipates that global traffic deaths will surpass 3 million people per year, the Ethiopian Health Sector
Development Program clearly gives more attention to RTA and violence among other non-communicable
diseases.
Objective: - The objective of this research was to assess pattern of RTA and associated factors in
patients visiting the Emergency Department of Chiro General Hospital, July 1, 2017 – December 31,
2017.Data were collected from July 20-July25/2018.
Methods: -Retrospective cross- sectional study was conducted on a total of 378 samples. The study
populations were all RTA patients, who visited the Emergency Department of Chiro General Hospital.
The data was collected from documented patient charts that were taken from registered book in
emergency room; surgical ward injured patients. The data was entered, cleaned and analyzed using SPSS
for windows version 21.0 and presented using tables and figures.
Results: - From three hundred forty five (345) RTA patients, there were 213(61.7%) males The
more injured age group was 20-29 years old group that accounts 239(69.5%).Condition of the
patient at emergency room 340(98.6%) were stable, 5(1.4%) were died at arrival to emergency
room. In adjusted analysis age less than 40 years has significant statistical association with road
traffic accidents [AOR=4.2 (95%CI: 1.42, 12.60)].The other factors which had a significant
statistical association with the development of road traffic accidents were Smoking with adjusted
odds ratios [AOR= 7.37(95%CI: 2.68, 20.35)]
Conclusion: Of the total RTA males were more victims of the 213(61.7%) than 132 (38.3%)
females. Age less than 40 years and smoking were factors associated with the RTA. From 345
patients who sustained RTA injuries 340(98.6%) were recovered where as 5(1.4%) patients were
died at arrival to emergency room.
