Patterns of head injuries in lethal road traffic accidents in Buzau County

The purpose of this article is to analyze the patterns of head injuries in fatal road accidents in Buzau County for a period of 4 years. This is a retrospective, archival study, and it is based on a total of 339 cases obtained within the Forensic Service Buzau during the period of 2005-2009. We have analyzed the presence of basic traumatic lesions, skull fractures, intracranial hemorrhages and cerebral traumatic pathology. We have also followed the correspondence between cranial lesions at different levels. The statistical analyses showed a partial correlation between external, elementary lesions (bruises, abrasions, tegumentary wounds) and severe, potentially significant life-threatening, intracranial lesions. Therefore identifying traumatic injuries or even skull fractures does not necessarily imply the existence of underlying severe, potentially lethal, lesions. However, once the presence of a basic lesion or skull fracture was ascertained, the chance of identifying a severe injury increases significantly with up to 7 times when one aims to identify a brain matter injury (contusion or dilaceration) in victims with skull fractures. An accurate knowledge of the lesion mechanisms can lead to car makers carrying out improvements to limit the damage, and can increase the clinical index of suspicion for brain lesions, as the external examination is quite poor at this level.