Functional Consequences after Road Traffic Injuries: the Preliminary Results from PERSIAN Traffic Cohort (PTC)

Background: Injuries are one of the important causes of death in the world. Today, it is needed to consider long-term functional consequences, after decreasing mortality rates and improving the recovery of injured patients. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to describe the functional outcomes of road traffic injuries and their predictors six month after hospital discharge based on the preliminary results from PTC. Methods: A cross-sectional study based on PERSIAN Traffic Health and Safety Cohort Study was performed. Data were collected using the 12-item World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 (WHODAS 2.0) with six domains (cognition, mobility, self-care, getting along with others, life activities, and participation), filled in by 180 injured adults (age >18 years) at six-month follow-up after hospital discharge during October 2019. These patients hospitalized after road crash in two referral trauma centers, from 23 September 2018 through 20 March 2019. Results: The majority of participants were men (82.7%) (Mean (SD) age =38.8 (16.7)). The mean score of WHODAS 2.0 was 17.8) SD=9.1).The highest score was estimated for the self-care dimension 3.3 (SD=1.8) and the lowest score for the Getting along with others 2.4 (SD=1.2). Age, gender, physiotherapy, injury localization including head and face, spinal cord, and upper extremity were predictors of WHODAS 2.0 score in various dimensions (p<0.05). Conclusions: The current study identified some functioning disabilities among patients sustaining road traffic injuries. It was evident from the results that a proportion of patients don’t recover six months after the injury and suffer disability especially in self-care, mobility, and life activities, which potentially prevent them from returning to normality. In addition, Age, gender, physiotherapy, injury localization were related to WHODAS 2.0 scores. These results highlight the importance of a comprehensive understanding of the long-term impact of injury on an individual.