Medico-Legal Aspects of Road Traffic Accidents in the Intensive Care Unit of Heinrich Lübke Hospital, Diourbel (Senegal)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37506/n165jy36Keywords:
Road traffic accidents – Forensic medicine – Intensive care – Head traumaAbstract
Introduction: Road traffic accidents (RTAs) are a major global public health concern, particularly in low- and
middle-income countries. Their human, economic, and medico-legal consequences remain considerable. This
study aimed to analyze the medico-legal aspects of deaths resulting from RTAs in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of
Heinrich Lübke Hospital in Diourbel, Senegal.
Objective: To assess the epidemiological, injury-related, and medico-legal characteristics of RTA-related deaths
in a regional ICU.
Methods: We conducted a retrospective, descriptive, and analytical study of 52 deaths resulting from RTAs
recorded in the ICU of Heinrich Lübke Hospital, Diourbel, between January 2020 and December 2024. Data were
collected from medical records and analyzed according to sociodemographic variables, accident circumstances,
types of injuries, and medico-legal management.
Results: Most victims were male (82.7%, n=43), with a sex ratio of 4.8. The median age was 36.2 years (range:
6–72), and 34.6% were under 20 years old. The majority resided in urban areas (73%) and had an occupation (62%).
Collisions between vehicles were the leading mechanism (42.3%), with motorcycles involved in 48.1% of cases.
Passengers accounted for 51.9% of victims, followed by pedestrians (30.8%). Polytrauma was predominant (57.7%),
with cranioencephalic injuries in 82.7% of cases. Death occurred most often within the first week of hospitalization
(34.6%). Only 21.2% of victims underwent external examination or autopsy.
Conclusion: Road traffic accidents remain a leading cause of mortality among young adults in Senegal, dominated
by fatal head injuries. The limited number of medico-legal autopsies restricts the understanding of the real causes
of death. Strengthening road safety prevention, improving pre-hospital care, and systematically enforcing medicolegal
procedures are essential to reduce mortality and improve forensic rigor in Senegal.
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