The use of safety equipments among accident victims in the city of Uberaba-MG

Abstract

Traffic accidents correspond to the third mortality cause in the world. This is a retrospective study with objectives of identifying safety’s equipments used by the victims of accidents and the main types of lesions occurred. Data were collected from charts of pre-hospital from the 8th Battalion Military Fire of the Uberaba city (MG), between June/2006 and June/2007 and the data were analyzed according to descriptive statistics. Most of the victims (69, 77%) was male and was about 30 and 44 years old. It was observed that 50, 70% were motorcycle accidents. Most of the victims (66, 10%) presented excoriations. In the automobile accidents, (25, 94%) used the seatbelt and 0, 63% had the airbag activated, while in the motorcycle accidents (68, 32%) they were using helmet. It is concluded that most automobile accidents didn’t use the seatbelt although it is an equipment of obligatory use, while it is observed larger adhesion to the helmet use. It is emphasized the necessity of implementation of new education programs that focus the importance of the use of equipments of safety contributing, this way, to the reduction of lesions in the traffic accidents.

Descriptors: Traffic accidents; Wounds and injuries; Seat belts; Emergency nursing.