The accident referrals to an emergency department in Ali-Ebn-e Abitaleb Hospital, Rafsanjan: A descriptive study

The goal of this research was to study epidemiology of accident referrals to an emergency department.

A descriptive study of 2584 persons that injured in accidents was carried out at the Ali-ebn-e Abitaleb emergency center of Rafsanjan, Iran. A stratified random sample was selected over a total of 120 days (360 work shifts) spanning all seasons of the year. Data were gathered through interviews, examination and questionnaires administered by the staff (physicians and nurses) at the emergency ward.

Seventy-six percent of the patients were male, 75.5% were under 30 years of age and 63.47% were single. About 40% of the accidents had occurred in the morning. Motor vehicle accidents were the leading cause of injury (36.22%), while 20.36% of the injuries were caused by falls. Eleven percent of all injuries were categorized as occupational accidents, 6.89% were due to dispute and 5.72% were burns.Eighty-four percent of the cases were treated as outpatients and 16% were hospitalized. The proportion of deaths was one percent.

The high prevalence of injuries from motor vehicle accidents (especially in younger cases) emphasizes the importance of educating the youth in traffic regulations and safe driving. The great number of accidents due to falls and workplace accidents shows the need for promoting house and workplace safety measures.