ISPUB.COM The Internet Journal of Epidemiology Volume 9 Number 1 1 of 7 Pattern Of Trauma In Central India: An Epidemiological Study With Special Reference To Mode Of Injury M Swarnkar, P Singh, S Dwivedi Citation M Swarnkar, P Singh, S Dwivedi. Pattern Of Trauma In Central India: An Epidemiological Study With Special Reference To Mode Of Injury. The Internet Journal of Epidemiology. 2009 Volume 9 Number 1. Abstract Research question: What are the various epidemiological factors related to trauma cases?Objectives: 1. To assess the prevalence of trauma coming to hospital 2. To know the various epidemiological factors related to trauma cases 3. To know cause and mode of injuryStudy design: Descriptive study.Setting: Study was performed in department of surgery Shyam Shah Medical College & Hospital, Rewa. Madhyapradesh, IndiaParticipants: 350 trauma victims reported in one year period.Study variables: Demographic characteristics of the victims, time, day and month of injury. Type of trauma, cause and mode etc.Statistical analysis: Proportions.Results: Out of total 3625 admissions, annual incidence of trauma was 22.78%. RTA was the commonest cause of injury (46.85%).Most common age group affected was 11-40 year age group (64.06%), with predominance of Male (79.4%) and rural population (72%). The commonest victims of trauma were Labourer (37.66%). Maximum cases of trauma occurred during summer (58.9%).Jeep was the most common vehicle involved (33.53%).In road traffic injury cases, frontal impact was the commonest mode (51.47%) most cases were unintentional injury (68%) and Alcohol intoxication was present in 11.07% of cases. INTRODUCTION Trauma represents a major epidemic of non-communicable disease in present century. They are no longer considered accidental but are part of the price we pay for the technological progress. Trauma has its own natural history and follow the same epidemic pattern as any other disease that is agent, the host and the environment interacting together to produce injury or damage. They occur more frequently in certain age group, at certain times of day and the week and at certain localities. Injuries caused 9% of the total deaths. Among the total disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), 13% were due to injuries. The WHO–World Bank Report, which reviewed the disease transformation scenarios, indicates that RTIs will be the third leading cause of mortality by 2020, moving up from their present ninth position. Similarly, suicide and violence will move from the twelfth and sixteenth to tenth and fourteenth positions by 2020[1]. Among both children aged 5–14 years, and young people aged 15–29 years, road traffic injuries are the second- leading cause of death worldwide[2] The mortality and economic losses imposed by morbidity resulting from injuries are largely preventable. However, the development of effective injury prevention efforts depends on reliable and detailed information on the incidence and pattern of injury. In developed countries, such data are available from vital statistics registers and health care records. However, such records are of limited value in developing countries. Many ill or injured persons in these countries never receive medical care from orthodox health facilities, and many deaths are not reported; making health records an incomplete source of data. Injury as a research problem has also been largely ignored in developing countries [3-5]. An examination of ‘years of potential life lost’ indicates that injuries are the second most common cause of death after 5 years of age in India [6]. Injury is thus a long-overlooked health problem that deserves study. This study was conducted to understand and describe the incidence and pattern, cause and mode of injuries. MATERIALS AND METHODS The present study was conducted in Department of Surgery, Shyam Shah Medical College and Associated Hospital Rewa during the period of June 2004 to July 2005. The study group-consisted of first 350 Trauma victims out of total 826 trauma patients admitted in surgery ward of one year period. Inclusion criteria were injured patients of any age presenting to the casualty department. A pretested trauma registry form was completed for all trauma patients with informed consent. However, if the patient was brought unconscious or