General Health Status and Functional Disability Following Injury in Traffic Crashes

Abstract

Objective. With increasing rates of survival associated with traffic crashes, a shift to understand the consequences of injury has risen to prominence. This prospective cohort study set out to examine general health status and functional disability at 2 months and 6–8 months post-crash.

Methods. Participants were otherwise healthy adults aged 18–59 years admitted to hospitals, excluding those with moderate–severe head injury and spinal cord injury. Sixty-two adults completed interviews prior to discharge and at 2 months and 8 months post-discharge.

Results. By 8 months post-crash, 89 percent had resumed employment and or study, two thirds rated the resolution of their medical problems to be excellent (14.5 percent) or good (53 percent), and 82 percent were considered to be fully self-sufficient with respect to activities of daily living. Despite this, results from the SF-36 indicated significant reductions in health status at 2 and 8 months post-crash relative to pre-crash health, with domain scores up to 26 percent lower than pre-crash scores, while assessment of activities of daily living indicated residual functional disability at both follow-up times. Self-reported pain was higher for both males and females at both follow-up times compared with pre-crash self-reported pain.

Conclusion. This study demonstrated significant, ongoing loss of health-related quality of life and impairment associated with injuries sustained in road crashes, highlighting the need for continuing care post-discharge to facilitate a rapid return to optimal health.

Keywords:

• Accidents
• Disability
• Gender
• Pain
• Quality of Life
• Wounds
• Injuries

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The authors gratefully acknowledge the significant contribution of each participant as well as that of the treating nursing and medical staff of the hospitals involved. The authors wish to thank Professor Johannes Wenzel and Dr. Pam Rosengarten, Southern Health, for supporting the study. Thanks also to Louise Niggemeyer RN, Manager, Trauma Registry, The Alfred, Michelle Srage RN & Claire Sage, RN, Trauma Care-Co-ordinators, The Alfred, and Meg Lindsay RN, Southern Health, for vital support without which this research would not be possible. Michael Fitzharris acknowledges the financial contribution of the MUARC Foundation and Monash University for providing stipend funding and the MUARC Doctoral Students Research Fund (DSRF) for supporting this research activity. The views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of Monash University, the Accident Research Centre, the MUARC Foundation, Bayside Health, or Southern Health.

Notes

*p ≤ 0.05 for within sample gender comparison.

^†All pelvic fractures;

‡all associated with lower extremity pelvis injury.

*p ≤ 0.05 for sample gender comparison.

*One female retired from employment.

^†p ≤ 0.05, T2, T3.