ASSESSMENT OF HEMORRHAGE SEVERITY ON CT SCAN IN ROAD ACCIDENT PATIENTS

Abstract

Intracranial hemorrhage after road traffic accidents is life-threatening and requires rapid diagnosis. This study aimed to assess the types and severity of ICH using CT scan. This is a descriptive, cross-sectional study conducted at Mujahid Hospital in Faisalabad over four months (n = 80). Non-probability consecutive sampling recruited head-injured patients (non-contrast CT of the brain performed) within 24 hours of the injury. Data were collected using a structured data collection sheet (Appendix 1). The data were analyzed through SPSS, presented as frequency and percentage, and assessed for correlation using the Chi-Squared test with a statistical significance of p ≤ 0.05. The majority of the study population was male (67.5%), with motorcycle accidents as the most frequent type of injury (41.3%). The most common type of hemorrhage was subdural hematoma (56.3%), followed by contusion (51.2%), subarachnoid hemorrhage (40.0%), and intraparenchymal hemorrhage (35.0%); intraventricular hemorrhage was the least common (15.0%). There were multiple types of hemorrhage seen in 68.8% of the patients indicating that traumatic brain injuries can be complex. The majority of injuries were classified as moderate in severity (78.8%), while mild (13.8%) and severe (7.5%) injuries comprised a smaller percentage of the study group. No statistically significant association was found between the severity of any type of hemorrhage and the type of hemorrhage present or mode of injury (p > 0.05). In conclusion, CT is an essential tool for early diagnosis and severity grading of intracranial hemorrhage in RTA patients. Subdural hematoma was the most common hemorrhage type, with most cases showing moderate severity.