Occipital bone fractures in two-wheeler road traffic accidents: Understanding contrecoup brain injuries and implications for prevention
Background: Traumatic occipital bone fractures from two-wheeler road traffic accidents (RTAs) are significant public health concerns due to their high morbidity and mortality. Aim: This study investigates the epidemiology and outcomes of these injuries, focusing on demographic characteristics, injur...
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| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications
2024-12-01
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| Series: | Saudi Journal for Health Sciences |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://journals.lww.com/10.4103/sjhs.sjhs_105_24 |
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| Summary: | Background:
Traumatic occipital bone fractures from two-wheeler road traffic accidents (RTAs) are significant public health concerns due to their high morbidity and mortality.
Aim:
This study investigates the epidemiology and outcomes of these injuries, focusing on demographic characteristics, injury patterns, alcohol consumption, helmet use, and management strategies.
Methods:
This study was carried out at a regional referral center, including patients admitted with traumatic occipital bone fractures due to two-wheeler RTAs. Data on demographics, injury details, alcohol consumption, helmet use, management approaches, and patient outcomes were collected and analyzed.
Results:
The study comprised 60 patients with a mean age of 41.3 ± 15.6 years, predominantly male (80%). Alcohol consumption was significantly associated with poorer outcomes, including a higher sudden death rate (P = 0.047) and overall mortality (P = 0.040). Of the patients who consumed alcohol, 88.9% were riders without helmets, compounding the risk. The most common diagnoses were frontal hemorrhagic contusion (56.7%) and subdural hematoma (30%). Conservative management was more common among survivors (68.2%), while a higher proportion of nonsurvivors underwent surgical intervention (60.0%), though these differences were not statistically significant.
Conclusion:
Alcohol consumption and lack of helmet use are associated with significantly higher mortality and severe outcomes in traumatic occipital bone fractures from two-wheeler RTAs. The findings underscore the necessity of public health initiatives to encourage helmet usage and curtail alcohol-impaired driving. Additional research is required to investigate the influence of treatment approaches on patient outcomes. |
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| ISSN: | 2278-1900 2278-0521 |