title: Patterns of Road Traffic Accidents in North West of Iran during 2013 New Year Holidays: Complications and Casualties.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the patterns,complications and casualties of road traffic accidents in North West of Iran during 2013 New Year holidays.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and eighty one patients with trauma-related vehicle crashes were investigated in a cross sectional-descriptive study. We only included those road traffic accidents which were recorded during the 2013 Iranian New Year holidays. Severity of injury based on Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score, patient transmission type, damaged organ and the final diagnosis was determined. The mortality rate as well as complications were also recorded and reported. The pattern was analyzed and presented using descriptive statistics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall we included 181 patients who were victims of road traffic accidents during the study period. Most cases of multiple traumas were from two car accident (49.2%). Of 181 cases, 71 (39.2%), 66 (36.5%), 16 (8.8%) and 11 (6.1%) subjects had limb, head and neck, abdominal, and spinal cord injuries respectively, while 16 cases (8.8%) did not have any organ damage. In final diagnosis, a limb fracture was noticed in 32 cases (17.7%) and skull fractures in 5 subjects (2.8%) as the first and second causes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  As head and neck were the most damaged organs after the limbs in patients with multiple traumas, it seems that there is a necessity for these patients in transmission and examination of head traumas. So there is a need for a proper referral system.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Emergency Medicine, Imam Reza Teaching Hospital, School of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
authors.forename: Samad
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shams Vahdati
authors.affiliation: Departments of Emergency Medicine, Imam Reza Teaching Hospital, School of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
authors.forename: Amir
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: GhafarZad
authors.affiliation: Departments of Emergency Medicine, Imam Reza Teaching Hospital, School of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
authors.forename: Farzad
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rahmani
authors.affiliation: Research Development and Coordination Center (RDCC), Trauma Research Center, Neurosciences Research Center (NSRC), Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
authors.forename: Farid
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Panahi
authors.affiliation: Medical Student, School of Medicine, TabrizUniversity of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
authors.forename: Amir
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Omrani Rad
keywords: Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALY); New Year holidays; Road traffic accidents; Trauma complications