Road safety and medical care to victims of road accidents in Moscow in 1999-2003
Lutkovskiĭ, O.A.
Problemy Sotsial'noi Gigieny Zdravookhraneniia i Istorii Meditsiny 2005(2): 53-54
2005
ISSN/ISBN: 0869-866X PMID: 15916134 Document Number: 590215
There has been an increase of victims including lethal cases, primarily among male aged 20-39, in road accidents (RA) in Moscow during the recent 5 years, 1999-2003. A high level of RA severity (number of lethal cases per 100 of victims) is especially typical of novice drivers. First aid on the RA spot is rendered only to 4% of victims; the percentage of lethal cases before hospital has been recently on the rise: victims die mainly of blood loss or shock, in other words, they die not of injuries, which are incompatible with life, but of a lack of emergency medical care. More drive time needed by the ambulance vehicle from the RA place to hospital as well as worse standards of emergency care rendered to RA victims are also unfavorable factors. Purpose-oriented actions undertaken under the existing circumstances in respect of socially vulnerable categories of people as well as implementation of preventive measures could be most effective for the protection of public health.