Aline Soares Figueiredo Santos

Abstract

Transit systems are complex, dynamic and widespread. This study has had as an objective to analyze epidemiological aspects related to urban traffic accidents. A cross-sectional epidemiological study has been carried out. This is the analysis of data related to accident victims in traffic events who were assisted by the Rescue Unit of the Military Fire Brigade in the state of Minas Gerais. All the events took place in the urban area of a medium-sized city. Data on people who were run over, on those who were car crash victims and also on those who had motorcycles and bicycles accidents reported by the police in 2018 have been analyzed. The data collection form has been prepared by the researcher who based it on the information related in the police report. Statistical analysis has been performed by using IBM SPSS 22.0 Software. Descriptive analysis has been performed in order to identify percentage and absolute values and also bivariate analyzes to compare proportions by using Pearson's chi-square test, with significance level p <0.05. The project has been approved by the Ethics Committee (CAAE: 02851818.4.0000.5146).Information about 826 individuals who were involved in urban traffic accidents has been analyzed and presented in two articles. The former has emphasized the injured people profile as well as the different injuries resulting from traffic accidents. It has been concluded that the majority of victims are men (61.6%), aged between 18 and 59 years old (87.6%) and with education at the elementary and high school level (82.3%). Motorcycles have been the most involved vehicles in the accidents (81.0%). Out of the injured people, the majority has been in the rider conditon (79.2%). Out of 89.6% of the victims, there has been at least one clinically visible injury. The reported injuries have been: bone fracture (13.4%), traumatic brain injury (7.6%), abdominal trauma (0.2%), thoracic trauma (2.2%), pelvic and genital trauma (0.8 %), avulsion of the fingernail / tooth (0.3%), excoriation (60.3%), blunt cut (18.7%), contusion (47.8%) and burn (0.1%). In the latter article, the focus has been placed on the analysis of ‘bone fractures’ suffered by the injured people. Closed bone fractures in the upper / lower limbs have occurred in 10.0% of them, and open fractures have affected 3.1% of all injured people. Among the injured people, fractures have been found in the clavicle (0.2%), in the rib (0.1%) and in the pelvis (0.1%). The highest fracture rate has been among motorcyclists / cyclists (95.5%). The occurrence of fractures has been associated with men (p = 0.026). Most of the injured people have been adult men in the rider position. Motorcycles have been the most involved vehicles in the accidents. Serious injuries such as traumatic brain injury and bone fractures have been seen. Taking all of that into consideration, the suggestion is improving safety educational actions in urban traffic so as to reduce accidents which cause injury and disable people.