Clinical Profile and Outcome of Road Traffic Accident Patients Presenting to JUMC Emergency Department, South West Ethiopia

Abstract

Road Traffic Accidents are incidents on a way or street open to public traffic. They contribute a significant amount of morbidity and mortality among all age groups. More than Eighty percent of road traffic deaths occur in middle-income countries. It causes major public health problems in the world especially in developing countries like Ethiopia; even though it is the major public health problem studies done on this topic in the study area is limited. Objective This study aimed at assessing clinical pattern and outcome of Road Traffic Accident patients presenting, to emergency department of Jimma University Medical Center from September 1 to November, 2024. Methodology Hospital based cross sectional study design was employed among RTA patients visiting Jimma University Medical center over 3 month period which included 247 participants. The data was collected using pretested checklist and analyzed using SPSS version 27. Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression were computed. Results were reported in narrative texts, frequency, tables, bar graphs, pie chart and cross tabulation. Result The age distribution of the respondents revealed that 47.0% (n = 116) were aged 15-29 years. The majority of the respondents were male, comprising 57.5% (n = 142). Patients injured at night were significantly more likely to die compared to those injured during the day (AOR = 5.706, 95% CI: 1.201–27.116, p = 0.029). The absence of per-hospital care significantly increased mortality risk (AOR = 12.837, 95% CI: 2.238–73.636, p = 0.004). Patients with preexisting medical conditions had a significantly higher likelihood of mortality (AOR = 6.648, 95% CI: 1.243–35.55, p = 0.027). The analysis demonstrated a strong correlation between injury severity and mortality: Moderate injuries increased the odds of death by 7 times compared to mild cases (AOR = 7.515, 95% CI: 1.560–36.192, p = 0.012).Severe injuries were associated with a dramatic increase in mortality risk, with an odds ratio of 44 (95% CI: 9.49–210.117, p = 0.001) Conclusion In conclusion, this study highlights the vulnerability of young males, passengers, and pedestrians in RTAs, emphasizing the interplay of socio-demographic, clinical, and systemic factors. Higher mortality rate was found and the contributing factors require collaborative efforts from policy makers, communities and health care providers to reduce the burden of RTA in Ethiopia. Addressing gaps in pre-hospital care, safety compliance, and infrastructure is critical to reducing morbidity and mortality in resource-limited settings