title: Pattern of road traffic injuries in Lublin County, Poland.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Road traffic injury patients admitted to 35 hospitals in Lublin region.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To describe the pattern of road traffic injuries in Lublin county, Poland.
  
  
  METHODS
  Review of medical records for the period from January 2004 to December 2005.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Pedestrians accounted for the largest share of the Road traffic crash (RTC) injury cases (35.8%) and 46.4% of deaths. The highest mortality was observed in motorcycle occupants (7.1%) and victims with abdominal injuries (9.8%). Vulnerable road users represented 71.4% of all RTC deaths, with mortality 5.8%. Early transfers accounted for 82.5% of cases. Mortality in early transfers is 4 times higher than in late transfers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Poland ranks as one of the worst European countries in terms of severity and fatal outcomes of road traffic injuries. Groups of road users in Poland at the highest risk are pedestrians, cyclists, children and young male drivers. The highest mortality rate occurs among road users affected by multiple trauma and head/vertebral column injuries. Alleviation of consequences of road traffic injuries in Poland may be achieved by coordinated efforts and collective responsibility of government, central level agencies, rescue team members and community groups.
authors.affiliation: Emergency Medicine Unit, Medical University of Lublin, Poland. mariusz.goniewicz@gmail.com
authors.forename: Mariusz
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Goniewicz
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nogalski
authors.forename: Meleckidzedeck
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Khayesi
authors.forename: Tomasz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lübek
authors.forename: Beata
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zuchora
authors.forename: Krzysztof
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Goniewicz
authors.forename: Paulina
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Miśkiewicz
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D001642:Bicycling / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D018986:Motor Vehicles / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009049:Motorcycles / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011044:Poland / Q000453:epidemiology; D017678:Sex Distribution; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology*; D055815:Young Adult