P2-437 Disability in traffic accidents' victims admitted to a trauma hospital in Belo Horizonte, Brazil

Introduction Traffic accidents are an important cause of morbidity and mortality around the world. The aim of this study is describe the characteristics, accident profile and injuries suffered by the victims and the occurrence of sequelae. Methods The study included traffic accident victims admitted to Joao XXIII Hospital - FHEMIG up to 24 h after the event between 1 March and 15 July 2008. Patients were also interviewed 12 months after the accident. The study was funded by PPSUS/FAPEMIG. Results 181 patients were interviewed 1 year after the accident. 85.6% were male. The age group with the highest number of accidents was the 20–30 year-olds (47% of the total). Motorcycle occupants were the most common type of victim—112 (61.9%). 89.7% of the patients were not able to work following the accident. Moreover, 40% were still unable to return to their usual activities 12 months after the accident. 50% considered their health as good, compared to their health condition one year before and 36.4% considered their health as worse than the previous year. Around 73% of the victims presented some kind of sequela one year after the accident, although they were mostly minor. Conclusions This study showed a predominance of young male motorcycle occupants among traffic accident victims admitted to the hospital. Furthermore, a high proportion of victims were unable to return to work (40%), even one after the accident. This fact highlights the high burden brought on by traffic accidents.