OBJECTIVETo analyze and summarize the secular trend and influencing factors of road traffic injuries(RTI) in China, so as to provide evidence for the management of traffic safety.

METHODSIndexes as fatalities per 10,000 vehicles, fatalities per 100,000 population, fatalities per 10,000 kilometers, motorization(number of vehicles per 1000 population) and mortal coefficient were used. Clustering analysis and ranking correlation were used to analyze the relative factors.

RESULTSThe number of casualties of RTI had doubled every decade before the year of 2000. One hundred thousand people were killed in RTI every year since 2000. Facts as: Gross National Product(GNP) of China exceeded 1000 USD in 2002, number of motor vehicles reached 1.3 million in 2005, had both influenced the rates of road traffic fatality, mileage fatality and mortal coefficient which causing them to drop since 2002. In China, RTI happened in the underdeveloped districts in the western part of the country including Tibet, Ningxia, Xinjiang, Qinghai, and in some coastal areas as Zhejiang and Guangdong provinces. Men seemed to be more at risk than women in RTI, and accounted for three-quarters of the victims. Majority of fatalities happened in 21-50 year olds and the fatalities among those over 65 year olds had risen every year. The vulnerable populations in road-user category were pedestrians, passengers, motorcyclists and bicyclists. Under most situations, drivers were responsible for RTI and over half of them were professionals. Bad behaviors were the major causes of RTI, including exceeding the speed limit, handle misfeasance, breaking traffic rules and regulation, having taken alcohol or driving with fatigue etc. Exceeding the speed limit was the most risky factor which causing 75% of the RTI and the traffic deaths increased between 2002 to 2004. A positive correlation was discovered between population fatality rate and the factors as the number of vehicles, volume of road haulage, volume of passengers and the degree of highway etc. with correlation coefficients as r1 = 0.986, r2 = 0.986, r3 = 0.987, r4 = 0.985, P = 0.001, respectively.

CONCLUSIONSince 1951, the population fatality rate of RTI had been going up continuously until it began to fall in 2003.

Accidents, Traffic ; mortality ; statistics & numerical data ; China ; epidemiology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Wounds and Injuries ; mortality

Accidents, Traffic ; mortality ; prevention & control ; China ; epidemiology ; Global Health ; Humans ; Wounds and Injuries ; epidemiology

OBJECTIVETo study the trends in the distribution and change of total injuries were explored during 1997 - 2001. To provide scientific bases in setting up priorities and improving safety standards.

METHODSTo collect and analyze the data about all inpatients of injuries attending hospital and hospitalization at 322 hospitals between 1997 and 2001 in Guangdong, China. The main outcome measures included external causes, medical consequences, mortality, length of hospital stay, and costs.

RESULTSRate of all-injury hospitalization increased yearly, from 1997 to 2001. The ratio of inpatient case-fatality declined over a 5-year period, with the total case-fatality rate of 1.64%. The inpatients were mainly caused by motor vehicle accident, unintentional falls, punctured and cut by machine, hurt by others and homicide. The constituent ratio of deaths among patients caused by motor vehicle accident was accounted for 56.13% among the total deaths, which occupied the first place. Despite the fact that the mean length of stay declined by 3.58% for the hospitalized patients over a 5 year period, and by 2.20% for the healed patients, costs increased by 3.89% for the hospitalized patients and by 4.71% for the healed patients with an average costs per patient per day increased by 7.33%.

CONCLUSIONThe all-injury hospitalization rate had a trend of increase from 1997 to 2001, but the ratio of inpatient case-fatality declined over the 5-year period, and the direct medical cost also had a trend of increase.

China ; epidemiology ; Humans ; Incidence ; Inpatients ; Time Factors ; Wounds and Injuries ; epidemiology ; mortality

OBJECTIVETo determine the risk factors involved in the typhoon episodes and to put forward and evaluate the intervention measures.

METHODSWe defined a confirmed injury case as: 'a person with fall,scalpel and stab, collision, drowning, injuries and trauma due to flying debris and building collapse, asphyxiation due to entrapment in collapsed buildings by typhoon from 0 am,August 12 to 6 pm, August 14 2004' and a death case as: 'a person with fall, scalpel and stab, collision, drowning, injuries and trauma due to flying debris and building collapse, asphyxiation due to entrapment in collapsed buildings by typhoon from 0 am, August 12 to 12 am, August 18 2004'. We investigated all hospitalized injured cases in ten hospitals and telephoned to those who were not hospitalized and the cases of death. We did case-control study with 1 pair versus 2 cases. 74 cases were selected in ten hospitals. The controls were neighbors of the controls matched by occupation, sex, village, and within 5 years of age without injury in this typhoon. We asked the cases and the controls on their alertness regarding typhoon and what actions taken when typhoon arrived.

RESULTSThere were 392 injury cases in all ten hospitals and 50 death cases. The attack rate of injury was 27.3 per 100 000. The fatal rate was 11.3% with the death rate 3.1 per 100 000. We investigated 209 injury cases and 31 death cases. The number of cases who were injured from 1 to 6 hours before typhoon landing accounted for 64.6% (155) of all cases. The peak of epidemic curve was 4 hours before the landing of typhoon. Data on the analysis of 74 cases and 148 controls revealed that 42% (31) of the cases were outside their homes before and during typhoon compared to 15% (22) of the controls (OR = 3.9, 95% CI: 1.9-7.7). Compared with 20% (30) control persons (OR = 17,95% CI: 4.2-68). 28% (21) cases did not receive the alert of typhoon before it arrived compared with 18% (27) control persons (OR = 3.3, 95% CI:1.3-8.6). 53% (39) of the cases did not pay attention to the alert of typhoon before typhoon arrived.

CONCLUSIONStaying outdoor, not receiving or did not take seriously about the alert of typhoon seemed to be the risk factors of injury by the typhoon episode, suggesting that the government should increase the emergency preparedness and to raise the awareness on risks associated with typhoon.

Cause of Death ; China ; epidemiology ; Cyclonic Storms ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Risk Factors ; Wounds and Injuries ; epidemiology ; mortality

OBJECTIVETo study the epidemiological transition of injuries in Ningxia.

METHODSDemographic and mortality data during 1990s in Ningxia were collected and analyzed for temporal trend with linear regression model.

RESULTSDuring the past decade, mortality of injury raised by 28.22% among the residents in Ningxia and ranked the 3rd place in the causes of deaths. In 1999, the top four leading causes of injury deaths were traffic accident, suicide, drowning and poisoning. Overall injury mortality and mortalities of traffic accident and suicide increased, but mortality of drowning decreased during the past decade. As predicted, suicide will rank the 1st place in the causes of deaths among the residents in Ningxia by 2005.

CONCLUSIONSInjury was one of major risk factors influencing health and death among the residents in Ningxia, with a temporal trend in its incidence. Effective research, prevention and control of traffic accident, suicide, drowning and poisoning should be focused.

Accidents, Traffic ; Cause of Death ; China ; epidemiology ; Drowning ; Humans ; Mortality ; trends ; Poisoning ; Suicide ; Survival Rate ; Wounds and Injuries ; epidemiology ; mortality

OBJECTIVECardiac injuries are one of the most challenging injuries in the field of trauma surgery. Their management often requires immediate surgical intervention, excellent surgical technique and the ability to provide excellent postoperative critical care to patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcome and survival rate of patients with penetrating cardiac injury in southern Iran, Shiraz.

METHODSFrom January 2001 to June 2007, medical records of all patients suffering from penetrating cardiac injuries were reviewed and their outcomes were investigated. The inclusion criterion was the presence of a confirmed penetrating cardiac injury intraoperatively or by autopsy. Patients with blunt cardiac injuries were excluded from the study.

RESULTSThe study consisted of 37 patients, including 1 gunshot wound (2.7%), 35 stab wounds (94.6%) and 1 (2.7%) shotgun wound. The overall survival rate was 76% (28 in 37) and that in stab wound patients was 80%. The collected data of 9 expired patients revealed 11% death on arrival, 67% hypotensive, and 22% normotensive considering physiologic presentation. Paired sample test showed significant correlation between mortality and electrocardiographic changes, amount of retained blood in pericardium, clinical stage and physiologic condition at presentation, as well as associated injury type (gunshot more than stab wound).

CONCLUSIONOur results show that injury mechanism and initial cardiac rhythm are significant predictors of outcomes in patients with penetrating cardiac injuries. Besides, gunshot injury and exsanguination are the most important predictive variables of mortality.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Electrocardiography ; Female ; Heart Injuries ; mortality ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Iran ; epidemiology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Survival Rate ; Wounds, Penetrating ; mortality ; physiopathology

OBJECTIVETo compare fatalities and injuries in road traffic crashes (RTC) in Iran with other countries.

METHODSData were obtained from national health sources of Iran. These data included population number, registered motor-vehicles number, number of RTCs and consequent fatalities and injuries from 1997 to 2006.

RESULTSRTC fatality and injury rates increased from 1997 to 2005, but decreased in 2006. The overall men/women ratio in the RTC fatalities was 4.2:1. High RTC fatality rate of 39 per 100 000 population in Iran was almost the same as some other developing countries. In Iran, RTC fatalities in recent years were almost twice as much as the highest rate among the European countries.

CONCLUSIONSThis investigation shows that in spite of reduction of RTC fatality in Iran in 2006, it is still one of the highest in the world. Moreover, this paper describes the state of RTC-related parameters in a developing country in comparison with the developed countries.

Accidents, Traffic ; statistics & numerical data ; Developed Countries ; Developing Countries ; Female ; Humans ; Iran ; epidemiology ; Male ; Wounds and Injuries ; epidemiology ; mortality

OBJECTIVETo analyze the characteristics of injuries between two types of Emergency Department (ED) in China.

METHODSWe selected 25 hospital EDs in the whole country as spots for investigation, and designed one special questionnaire to collect information, from 1st July, 2001 to 30th June, 2002.

RESULTSIn city hospitals (CIH), the proportion of injury to all diseases were 19.65%, and in country hospital (COH) it was 29.88%. The fatality rate of injuries was 1.29% in COH, which was higher than that of CIH's (P < 0.001). In COH, ambulance was more frequently used to treat injury patients than in CIH, but the average rescue time was not different. In cities, machinery was the leading cause (about 32.88%), but in country it was due to transpert (35.34%). Traffic accidents, suicide/homicide and unintentional drowning were the main causes of death. In CIH, the number of unintentional poisoning was almost twice as intentional, but in COH the patients due to poisoning suicide act were more than unintentional poisoning, with 2/3 of the poisoning causes were women. Patients due to chemical, drug and food poisoning accounted for 86.13% in CIH, while in COH the main causes were pesticidal, chemical and druggery (89.80%). In all poisons, pesticide was the leading cause for death.

CONCLUSIONIt's suggested that patients with injury be treated timely since the acute injury patients accounted for important part of ED's patients. The differences between CIH and COH were obvious, with better ability of treatment in CIH than in COH. More relevant measures were needed to improve the ability of acute treatment for injuries.

China ; epidemiology ; Emergency Medical Services ; statistics & numerical data ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Poisoning ; epidemiology ; etiology ; mortality ; Sex Factors ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Survival Rate ; Wounds and Injuries ; epidemiology ; etiology ; mortality

Adult ; Aged ; China ; epidemiology ; Female ; Hospital Mortality ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Multivariate Analysis ; Risk Factors ; Trauma Centers ; Trauma Severity Indices ; Wounds and Injuries ; epidemiology ; mortality

OBJECTIVECurrently, China is in short of thorough and systemic data concerning the patterns and incidence of injuries and related deaths. Guangdong Province as one of the economically advanced areas in China is faced with a relatively serious injury problem, and investigation of this problem in this Province will provide valuable information for other provinces and areas in this Country, as well as scientific basis for policy making for injury prevention and control.

METHODSAnalyses are based on the computerized hospital discharge data collected from 322 hospitals in Guangdong Province between 1997 and 2001. Diagnoses are coded according to the International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM).

RESULTSThe total hospitalization rate related with injuries increased year by year from 1997 to 2001. The ratio of case-fatality has a decline trend for all injury inpatients, who were mainly caused by motor vehicle accidents, unintentional falls, puncture and cut by machine and others. The constituent ratio of death among patients caused by motor vehicle accidents accounted for 56.13% among the total deaths, which ranked as the first place. The direct medical cost also had an increased trend.

CONCLUSIONSData on injuries requiring hospitalization can be used to design and target more effective injury prevention programs. Injury prevention would decrease human sufferings, disability, and associated economic losses.

Accidents, Traffic ; statistics & numerical data ; trends ; China ; epidemiology ; Hospital Information Systems ; Hospital Mortality ; Humans ; Incidence ; Inpatients ; Wounds and Injuries ; epidemiology ; etiology ; mortality