Ann Rehabil Med.  2016 Apr;40(2):288-293. 10.5535/arm.2016.40.2.288.

Characteristics of Patients Injured in Road Traffic Accidents According to the New Injury Severity Score

• Lee JS
• Kim YH
• Yun JS
• Jung SE
• Chae CS
• Chung MJ

• KMID: 2309928
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5535/arm.2016.40.2.288

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
To investigate the clinical characteristics of patients involved in road traffic accidents according to the New Injury Severity Score (NISS).
METHODS
In this study, medical records of 1,048 patients admitted at three hospitals located in different regions between January and December 2014 were retrospectively reviewed. Only patients who received inpatient treatments covered by automobile insurance during the period were included. Accidents were classified as pedestrian, driver, passenger, motorcycle, or bicycle; and the severity of injury was assessed by the NISS.
RESULTS
The proportion of pedestrian traffic accident (TA) was the highest, followed by driver, passenger, motorcycle and bicycle TA. The mean NISS was significantly higher in pedestrian and motorcycle TAs and lower in passenger TA. Analysis of differences in mean hospital length of stay (HLS) according to NISS injury severity revealed 4.97±4.86 days in the minor injury group, 8.91±5.93 days in the moderate injury group, 15.46±11.16 days in the serious injury group, 24.73±17.03 days in the severe injury group, and 30.86±34.03 days in the critical injury group (p<0.05).
CONCLUSION
The study results indicated that higher NISS correlated to longer HLS, fewer home discharges, and increasing mortality. Specialized hospitals for TA patient rehabilitation are necessary to reduce disabilities in TA patients.

Keyword

Traffic accident; New injury severity score; Trauma; Rehabilitation

MeSH Terms

Accidents, Traffic*
Automobiles
Humans
Injury Severity Score*
Inpatients
Insurance
Length of Stay
Medical Records
Mortality
Motorcycles
Rehabilitation
Retrospective Studies

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