Trend of Injury Severity and Road Traffic-Related Mortality in an Arab Middle Eastern Country: A 12-Year Retrospective Observational Study.

Background: Road traffic injuries (RTIs) significantly contribute to disability and death in Qatar. This observational study aimed to explore RTI mortality and injury severity trends from 2011 to 2022.

Methods: Data from the national trauma database were analyzed retrospectively for mortality rates, injury severity, and characteristics of the injured populations over the years (2011-2022).

Results: RTIs represented around 61.3% (n = 12,644) of 20,642 trauma hospitalizations over 12 years. The aggregate RTI mortality rate decreased from 12 to 8 per 100,000 persons, with a mean patient age of 31.8 years. The sum of deaths was 2464, comprising 1022 (41%) in-hospital and 1442 (59%) out-of-hospital fatalities. Among in-hospital deaths, bike-related mortalities totaled 35 (3%), motorcycle-related mortalities 53 (5%), motor vehicle mortalities 561 (55%), and pedestrian mortalities 373 (36%). Based on the injury severity score (ISS), RTIs were divided into four categories, namely, mild (ISS: 1-9), moderate (ISS: 10-15), severe (ISS: 16-24), and fatal (ISS: 25-75). The ISS ranged from 12 to 14, while the median ranged from 10 to 12. The injury frequency showed that mild injuries comprised 40.6% (4545), moderate injuries 26.2% (2934 subjects), and severe 16.7% (1873 subjects). Profound injuries accounted for 13.3% (1490 subjects). Severe and fatal injuries combined dropped from 30% in 2011 to 25% by 2022. Inversely, moderate injuries increased from 24% to 30%, representing a downward trend of the injury severity. Motorcycle-related injuries rose from around 3% to 28% between 2011 and 2022. Motor vehicle and pedestrian injuries declined from about 67% to 54% and 27% to 15%, respectively. Winter, Autumn, Spring, and Summer accounted for 27%, 26%, 24%, and 23% of the total injuries (11,153), respectively.

Conclusions: RTI in-hospital mortality and injury severity decreased over the study period. Injury prevention programs should target frequent injury seasons and high-risk populations, such as motorcyclists.