Clinical and epidemiological characteristics of road traffic accidents patients received at 2 intensive care units in Saudi Arabia—A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: Road traffic accidents (RTAs) lead to major trauma, which is the greatest cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The purpose of the study was to determine the clinical epidemiological profiles of the patients received in intensive care units (ICU) with road traffic injuries (RTIs). METHODS: The study, which included 300 patients, was conducted at emergency departments and two reference ICUs in Saudi Arabia. The patients were of varying ages and genders from different demographic backgrounds with different modes of injuries, varying degrees of shock, and multiple types of injury. Study variables included demographics, clinical presentations, and the types of fractures and lacerations. RESULTS: Most of our study population was male (n = 273; 91%). Car accidents were found to be the prevalent cause of injury (n = 267; 89.0% cases). Only 21.7% of the study population (n = 65) needed ICU admission compared to non-ICU patients (n = 235; 78.3%). Injuries to the chest (P = 0.0001), abdomen (P = 0.0001), upper limbs (P = 0.022), and spine (P = 0.001) significantly contributed to ICU admissions. CONCLUSION: The burden on ICUs due to RTIs can be reduced in Saudi Arabia by adopting strict preventive measures against RTAs.