Pattern and severity of injury sustained by pedestrians in road traffic accidents with particular reference to the effect of alcohol.

The injuries sustained by 102 pedestrians consecutively admitted to the Accident and Emergency Department of the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh were prospectively recorded. Injuries were categorized by body regions and the severity assessed by the ISS/AIS system. Pedestrian injuries were found to comprise 0.8 per cent of the department workload and 28 per cent of RTA injuries. The commonest sites of injury were the right leg and head. Injuries to the right side of the body were almost three times more frequent than those to the left. Patients considered to be under the influence of alcohol had more severe and widespread injuries, were more likely to have facial injuries, and were more likely to be detained as inpatients. Males were more commonly injured than females and the predominant age group was 20-29 years. The group affected by alcohol was predominantly male and young, whereas the group unaffected by alcohol included a considerable number of elderly people. The possible reasons for the pattern of injuries are discussed and the contribution of alcohol to the morbidity suffered by pedestrians is stressed.