title: An Epidemiological Study of Road Traffic Accidents in Guilan Province, Northern Iran in 2012.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the epidemiological characteristics of the road traffic injuries (RTIs) in Guilan province, northern Iran.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was a cross-sectional study which included all of RTIs admitted to medical centers of Guilan province (northern Iran) during 2012. ICD-10 was used as diagnostic criteria. Demographic variables also injury circumstance and in hospital variables such as length of stay, time of admission, type of surgery, ICU admission, final outcome and mechanism of injury, anatomical part of injury according to Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) classification were derives from records by trained research team. Descriptive data is reported. The predictors of mortality were also determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of road traffic injuries in Guilan province was 31 in 10,000 populations. Of total 7671 accidents, 5976 (77.9%) were men and 1695 (22.1%) were women. Mean age of these victims was 33.3 ± 17.289 years (32.64±16.939 for men, 35.62±18.312 for women). Most of them (32.5%) were 20-29 years old. Motorcycle-car accidents had the highest frequency followed by car-car crashes and car accidents involving pedestrians. Most of the patients (85.9%) were hospitalized and 280 injured died (3.7%). Upper extremities were the most sites of injuries. Male sex, length of hospital stay, multiple injuries and increased age were associated with road traffic accident associated mortality.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  RTIs cause enormous death and disability in this area and more road traffic preventive programs should be enforcement in these areas to reduce incidences RTI.
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, Guilan Road Traffic Research Center, Guilan University of Medical Science, Rasht, Iran.
authors.forename: Zahra
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Mohtasham-Amiri
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Department of Social Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Science, Tabriz, Iran.
authors.forename: Saeed
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dastgiri
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Medicine, GuilanRoad Traffic Research Center, Guilan University Medical Science, Rasht, Iran.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Davoudi-Kiakalyeh
authors.affiliation: Pharmaco-Economics and Pharmaceutical Management Center, Health Services Management Department, Health Services Management Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Science, Tabriz, Iran.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Imani
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Tabriz University Medical Science, Tabriz, Iran.
authors.forename: Keyvan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mollarahimi
keywords: Epidemiology; Iran; Road traffic injuries (RTIs); Trauma