The national motorcycle helmet law two years on: review of its impact on the epidemiology of traumatic brain injury in a major government hospital in Cambodia

World Neurosurgery
Sara VenturiniKee B Park

Abstract

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is major contributor to the global burden of disease, especially in low- and middle- income countries where most TBIs are traffic-related. Evidence shows that helmets protect against severe TBI. Cambodia continues to have the highest motorcycle fatality rate in Southeast Asia. We investigated whether the National Motorcycle Helmet Law introduced in January 2016 had an impact on the epidemiology of motorcycle-related TBI in a neurosurgical referral centre in Phnom Penh. This is a cross-sectional study of all patients admitted to the Department of Neurosurgery at Preah Kossamak Hospital with TBI following motorcycle accidents between January 2014 and December 2017. TBIs admissions are increasing (from 234 in 2014 to 768 in 2017). Median age was 26, most patients were male. The percentage of helmeted patients was 9% in 2014 and 13% in 2015; this increased to 18% in 2016, but dropped to 9% in 2017. Most TBIs occurred during evening rush hour. Since 2016, more patients wore helmets in the daytime (up to 23%) than at night (5% between 01:00-05:00). Skull fracture, the most common pathology pre-law, decreased by 25% post-law (p<0.001). With growing urbanisation and motorisation, TBI is a significant cause ...Continue Reading

Citations

Dec 19, 2020·Translational Neuroscience·Zhike ZhouQinghua Li
Sep 15, 2021·World Neurosurgery·Gideon AdegboyegaAndrew Folusho Alalade

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