Abstract
Introduction
Road accidents are among the leading causes of trauma admissions in hospitals worldwide. Road traffic accidents kill more than 1.35 million people and injure up to 50 million people each year, according to WHO estimates. Cambodia faces a major public health crisis due to road traffic accidents, which cause trauma admissions. Rapid urbanization, motorization, and adherence issues to traffic laws contribute to traumatic brain injury, limb injuries, and disability. We aim to assess the consequences of disability caused by road traffic accidents, and to determine the main factors influencing the incidence of traffic accidents to inform decision-makers about road safety interventions.
Methods
We conducted a cohort study of 174 injured patients with disabilities after they were discharged from Cambodia-China Friendship Hospital (CCFH). The study included patients who were at least 18 years old, had a history of traffic accidents for at least one day, and were being treated at the CCFH from January to May 2023. While the patient was still in the hospital, a face-to-face interview was conducted to collect baseline data on the variables of interest using Hospital-Based Road Traffic Injury Surveillance Tool. One month after patients were discharged from the hospital, the first follow-up interview was conducted via phone. Three months after the initial call, the second follow-up call was made. In addition, six months after the patients were discharged from the hospital, the third follow-up interview was conducted.
Results
The mean age was 37.1 years old (SD = 16.9) in which men accounted for 68% and non-married (50%). Low extremity injuries were common (74%) followed by head and neck (10%) with closed fracture accounted for 60%. Among 174 patients with traffic injuries, 78 patients were identified as having severe disabilities in the one-month follow-up interview, 75 in the three-month follow-up interview, and only 8 in the six-month follow-up survey. Patients were identified as mild disabilities with scores ranging from 11.1 to 24.3 based on their overall disability score and each follow-up interview. Three and six months after discharge, 85 patients and 114 patients were classified moderate respectively based on the environmental barrier impact score rating.
Conclusion
Road traffic accidents not only affect the development of human resources in Cambodia but also inhibit the growth of the individual and social economies. Therefore, safety measures should be paid attention to adults less than 45 years old, and educational campaigns on road safety should be implemented. All injured patients who had a mild disability from should be encouraged to return to the hospital for follow-up and medical check by the surgeons or physiotherapists for early rehabilitation or follow-up interventions. Finally relevant individuals, stakeholders, policymakers must never overlook this critical societal issue and must initiate appropriate intervention as soon as possible.