Evaluation of road traffic injuries in the post- pandemic era: a two-and-a-half-year review of clinical characteristics and outcomes at a major trauma center

Evaluation of road traffic injuries in the post- pandemic era: a two-and-a-half-year review of clinical characteristics and outcomes at a major trauma center

Road injury, Major trauma, Motor Vehicle crashes, After COVID-19, Post pandemic

Abstract
Background Road traffic crash-related injuries (RTCs) pose a significant public health challenge. In Saudi Arabia, a
notable decline in RTC-related injuries was observed from 2016 to 2020 during the pre-pandemic era. However, the
status and outcomes of RTCs following the pandemic remain largely unexplored. This study aimed to review the first
two and a half years of characteristics and outcomes of RTCs in the post-pandemic era in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Method Data was obtained from the Saudi TraumA Registry– STAR during the pre-pandemic period from August
2017 to March 2020 and the post-pandemic period from July 2020 to December 2022. Data were collected on patient
demographics, injury details, prehospital and in-hospital vital signs, and in-hospital outcomes. Logistic regression
analysis was performed to examine the association between different variables and in-hospital mortality.
Results A total of 6,577 patients sustained a road injury during the study period, pre-pandemic phase n=2,809

(42.8%) and post-pandemic phase n=3,768 (57.2%). An increase in trauma cases by 14.4% was seen in the post-
pandemic period (motor vehicle drivers 10.1%, motor vehicle passengers 1.9%, motorcycles 1.3%, and pedestrians

1.2%, p<0.001). In the post-pandemic period, there was an increase in head injuries by 3.3% (p=0.013), lower
extremity injuries by 3.1% (p=0.003), and injuries to the upper extremity by 1.3% (p=0.018). There was a notable
increase in the proportion of cases requiring intensive care unit admission by 5.6% (p=0.001) in the post-pandemic
period. In-hospital mortality was 278 (4.2%), pre-pandemic 113 cases (1.7%), and post-pandemic 165 cases (2.5%),
p=0.478.
Conclusion This study revealed a shift in the distribution of cases across age groups, mechanism of injury, injury
severity, and outcomes, with notable changes in percentages and varying degrees of increases in cases after the

pandemic. It is worth investing in increasing road traffic safety and reducing injuries to minimise the burden of RTC-
related injuries in Saudi Arabia.

Keywords Road injury, Major trauma, Motor Vehicle crashes, After COVID-19, Post pandemic

Rayan Jafnan Alharbi1*, Ateeq Almuwallad1

, Ahmed Al-Wathinani2

, Abdulrhman Alghamdi3

, Elsie Maguen1
and

Sharfuddin Chowdhury4

https://doi.org/10.1186/s12245-025-00817-3

2025

Peri Irawan

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