Irtiqa Imini Pishgiri Masdumiyat (Safety Promotion and Injury Prevention)

 Background and Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of clothing color on the rate of physical injuries inflicted on the pedestrian accident and suggest ways to avoid problems and complications from it.   

Materials and Methods: This study is the result of a study on pedestrian traffic accidents in 2007. Information was obtained from police database. M-logistic regressions (using SPSS) were used in this paper.  

Results: More than 6,552 pedestrians that injured in traffic accidents in 2007 were studied. Of these, more than 75% of patients were men (4,948). Among those that we know educational info’s, more than 91% of them were low educated (less than Diploma); and three quarters of people were wearing bright clothes.    

Based on Multinomial logistic regression analysis, bright clothing can reduce the severe injuries, 42% lower than dark clothing. The probability of pedestrian death with light clothes relative to dark clothes is 82%.  

Conclusion: Pedestrians are in risk of severe injuries in accidents. As more than 78% in the worst affected areas, "Neck" or "chest and back" is reported. Given that most pedestrians injured in accidents had an education lower than high school, low knowledge about traffic rules can be one of the causes of such accidents. The best way to avoid pedestrian accidents is "defensive driving" that means being wary of people who walk. Pay particular attention to young children and older adults. These individuals may be less aware of drivers or traffic signals on the road. 

Background and Aim: Injuries from traffic accidents are a major public health problem, and the third leading cause of mortality in people aged 1 to 40 years. Each year 31.8 persons per hundred thousands of Iranians are killed in car accidents. Neighboring of North Khorasan province with Razavi Khorasan, a province with a lot of pilgrims caused a large number of passengers travel via North Khorasan province. This study aimed to evaluate the road accidents and its related factors in the city of bojnurd in March 2012. 

Materials and Methods: this cross-sectional study was done from … to … 2012(the New Year vacation in Iran). All injured or victims from car accidents who referred to the emergency department of the Imam Ali Hospital formed the research community. Data was gathered by a questionnaire consisting vehicle specification, driver and injured characteristics. For victims and those were not able to answer, we used the family members or relatives for gathering the data. All data analysis was done in SPSS version 19.

Results: during the study period, 148 injured people were admitted to the hospital. Drivers’ mean age were 33.9 with the SD of 11.9 years; among them 43.2% were used seat belt. One driver and three passengers were killed immediately, and two drivers and three passengers died in the first 24 hours of admission. Fastening seat belt by drivers reduce the hospitalization rate significantly (p-value<0.0001). 50.7% of the accidents were head-on collisions. Violation from the speed limit (41.3%), indiscretions (25.4%) and drowsiness were the most common causes of accident respectively.

Conclusion: training the drivers, obligation for using seat belt by driver and passengers, rest after long hours driving , and more control of traffic police especially in two way roads could reduce the car accident or in case of accident help to prevent severe damage and injury.

سابقه و هدف: تصادفات ناشی از وسایل نقلیه موتوری از علل شایع تلفات جانی، نقایص عضوی و ناتوانی می ­باشند. در اغلب مطالعات، آسیب‌های اندام تحتانی شایع­ترین ترومای ناشی از حوادث موتورسیکلت می­ باشند که موجب نتایج زیان آور نیروی انسانی و مالی در کشور می ­شود.

روش بررسی: در این مطالعه مبتلایان به آسیب اندام تحتانی ارجاع شده به بخش ترومای اورژانس بیمارستان امام حسین (ع) طی یک سال مورد ارزیابی قرار گرفتند. پرسشنامه ­ای برای بیماران، تکمیل و در بانک اطلاعاتی طراحی شده به همین منظور وارد شد و سپس با نرم افزار آماری 18 SPSS مورد آنالیز قرار گرفتند.

يافته­ ها: در 766 بیمار مورد مطالعه با ترومای اندام تحتانی، 92% مرد با میانگین سنی 12±25 سال بودند. بیشتر تصادفات در خیابان­ های درون شهری و در بین ساعات دو بعد از ظهر تا 10 شب روی داده بود. شایع‌ترین محل شکستگی به ترتیب شیوع استخوان ­های ساق (تنه درشت­نی)، کف پا (استخوان لیسفرانک)، زانو (کشکک)، مچ پا (قوزک خارجی)، ران (تنه) و لگن (خاجی و راموس فوقانی) بود.

نتيجه­ گيری: با توجه به شیوع بالای آسیب اندام تحتانی خصوصاً ساق پا در تصادف­ های موتور سیکلت سواران، تهیه و ساخت وسایل حفاظتی کارآمد، به خصوص گارد محافظ پاها می ­تواند نقش مؤثری در کاهش حوادث رانندگی و به تبع آن کاهش بار مالی ناشی از این آسیب ­ها ایفا کند.           

Background and Aim: Carbon monoxide is colorless and odorless gas. In high concentrations, CO is deadly poisonous and in low concentrations can cause fatigue, headache, dizziness and seizures. Carbon monoxide has a high affinity to combines hemoglobin which can decrease oxygen capacity in blood. To address this problem, human body begins to produce red blood cells, this can increases blood viscosity and thus increase diseases such as stroke and heart attack. About 60 percent of total emissions of carbon monoxide are associated automobile exhaust. In this study, concentration of carbon monoxide has been measured in the cabin space of taxis in high-traffic areas of Tehran.

Materials and Methods: This study is carried out in spring and summer 2011. Concentrations of carbon monoxide in different types of taxi cabin space (Peugeot, Samand, Pride and Peykan) were measured by carbon monoxide meter Q RAE 2 models in different conditions of motion: high speed (over 45 kilometers per hour), low speed (15-30 kilometers per hour) and stop (0 kilometers per hour).

Results: Results showed that concentration of carbon monoxide in old vehicles (above 10 years) is more than three times compared to new vehicles and outdoor. In addition, according to the measured values, at low speeds, values of CO rapidly increased, so that in speeds of less than 15 km, values of CO go beyond standard values (9 ppm).

Conclusion: Results show that the mean value ​​of the measured concentration of carbon monoxide is higher than amounts recommended by WHO and EPA and local authorities such as Air Quality Control Organization of Tehran. Concentrations observed in this study are up to 40 more than results of a study by German researchers in summer 1995 and winter 1996.

Background and Aim: About one-third of Iranian children mortality is caused by injuries from which 36% occur due to road traffic injuries. Using child restraint embedded in vehicles can reduce road traffic fatalities by 71% for neonates and 54% for children. Based on its effectiveness in reduction of fatality and prevention of injury severity, child restraint usage mandatory law is a priority. Therefore, this study was conducted to assess opportunities and threats to mandatory law of child restraint usage in Iran.  

Materials and Methods: Initially, a mixed methods research is carried out by a phenomenological qualitative study, a discussion session by traffic injuries’ stakeholders was performed to assess & discuss the opportunities and threats to mandatory law of child restraint usage in Iran, by brain storming method to find the themes in the related topic. A structured questionnaire is later prepared and completed by the stakeholders in the area of road traffic injuries. Assigned scores of 0-100 were considered for each response and analysis of results was performed according to target themes & the total score of the filled questionnaires.

Results: Overall, 28 stakeholders participated in the study. According to the stakeholders, traffic police department obtained the highest score of 90 (from 0-100) as an organization to establish the mandatory law of child restraint usage, and acquired the score of 100 for future enforcement and monitoring. As threats and obstacle to the mandatory law of child restraint usage, lack of television and media campaigns and child restraint law and legislation, obtained the highest scores of 85 & 70 respectively. And family sensitivity to their children's health, officials’ support and national facilities for broadcasting, and community awareness to use child restraints had the highest scores among existing opportunities and facilities in the country, by scores of 83, 69 and 68 respectively.

Conclusion: Due to sensitivity of the family about their children’s health & safety, and officials’ support to safety establishment through media campaigns, implementation and applicability of child restraint usage laws and legislations, and subsequent enforcement and monitoring seem practical. 

 Background and Aim: One of the most important subjects in the study of suicide is the methods used to it. There are not accurate statistics relating to employed physical methods for suicide in our country. Studies conducted in different provinces provided different results. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of physical methods used in attempted suicides in Iran.

Materials and Methods: All national scientific databases searched with the term “Suicide”. A search strategy was also done using keywords of “Suicide AND Iran” in PubMed and Science direct databases. The conducted database searches was limited to the past twenty years and updated by May 21, 2012. Overall, 1229 articles were retrieved through the initial search. Finally 95 studies included for the analysis. Random effect model of Mantel-Haenzel employed for estimation of pooled prevalence and Q-Cochran test to assess the cause of heterogeneity among the selected studies.

Results:  The pooled prevalence of suicide methods estimated as hanging with prevalence 17 %( CI 95%: 12 to 21%), self-immolation with prevalence 13% (CI 95%: 9 to 17%) and use of gun 3% (CI 95%: 1 to 4%).

Conclusion: The most common physical methods used in suicide were hanging. We proposed more serious mental health programs in primary health care and special treatments for patients with depression and other mental illnesses.

Intentional and Unintentional Injuries;Healthy Approach

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