Road Traffic Injuries among Patients Visiting the Emergency Department in a Tertiary Care Centre: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study

INTRODUCTION: Road traffic injuries are preventable yet one of the most neglected public health issues. Road traffic injuries not only impact the health of the victim but also cause financial burden to the entire family. This study aimed to find out the prevalence of road traffic injuries in patients visiting the Emergency Department in a tertiary care centre. METHODS: A descriptive study was conducted among patients visiting the Emergency Department in a tertiary care centre from 1 January 2021 to 30 June 2021 after receiving ethical approval from the Institutional Review Committee (Reference number: IRC-LMC 07-J/020). Demographic information of the patients, accident profile and type of intervention at the hospital, and outcome were studied. Point estimate and 95% Confidence Interval were calculated. RESULTS: Among 8,765 patients visiting the emergency department, road traffic injuries were seen in 112 (1.28%) (1.04-1.52, 95% Confidence Interval). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of road traffic injuries was found to be similar to other studies conducted in similar settings.