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Effect of the COVID-19 national lockdown on road traffic accident fatalities involving traumatic brain injury: A retrospective review of Salt River Mortuary cases
Background: Low- and middle-income countries have reported higher traumatic brain injury (TBI) incidence and mortality rates in cases involving road traffic collisions (RTCs). In South Africa, RTCs are commonly reported as contributors to death; however, the current burden of TBI attributable to the...
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| Language: | English English |
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Department of Pathology
2025
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| _version_ | 1867613289552281600 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Mokgotho, Mahlatse |
| author2 | Abrahams, Shameemah |
| author_browse | Abrahams, Shameemah Mokgotho, Mahlatse |
| author_facet | Abrahams, Shameemah Mokgotho, Mahlatse |
| author_sort | Mokgotho, Mahlatse |
| collection | Thesis |
| description | Background: Low- and middle-income countries have reported higher traumatic brain injury (TBI) incidence and mortality rates in cases involving road traffic collisions (RTCs). In South Africa, RTCs are commonly reported as contributors to death; however, the current burden of TBI attributable to these deaths is unknown. Additionally, movement restrictions and behavioural changes introduced during the COVID-19 nationwide lockdown have been shown to affect injury patterns in general, but their impact on TBI is undocumented. This study aimed to investigate the epidemiology and patterns of TBI-associated deaths attributable to RTCs before and during the nationwide lockdown in South Africa. Methods: Autopsy reports of TBI-associated deaths due to RTCs, reported to Salt River Mortuary between 1 January 2019 and 31 December 2020, were reviewed. Results: A total of 616 RTCs, from the 7694 total caseload, were included with RTC-related TBIs accounting for 6.51% of the caseload across two years. Males were three times more likely to present with RTC-related TBIs compared to females. Individuals aged 30-39 years were at the highest risk of RTCs, and the median age of those with TBI (34 years) was significantly younger than those without (39 years, p < 0.001). Furthermore, the proportions of the TBI cases were comparable across all road user groups, all were equally likely to sustain TBI in an RTC. Two-thirds (66.18%) of individuals died before hospital admission. Of the 47.16% deceased individuals whose alcohol concentration was detectable, 92.96% had an alcohol level of ≥ 0.05 g/100 mL however we found no significant association between alcohol consumption and sustaining a TBI. Conclusion: These findings indicated that younger individuals are at a higher risk of TBI in RTC-related deaths. Furthermore, injury patterns did not seem to differ between the periods before compared to during the COVID-19 lockdown. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/41793 |
| institution | University of Cape Town (South Africa) |
| language | English eng |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:33:45.686Z |
| license_str | Not specified — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | Department of Pathology |
| publisherStr | Department of Pathology |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| spelling | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/41793 Effect of the COVID-19 national lockdown on road traffic accident fatalities involving traumatic brain injury: A retrospective review of Salt River Mortuary cases Mokgotho, Mahlatse Abrahams, Shameemah Mole, Calvin Molefe, Itumeleng Traumatic Brain Injury Road Traffic Collision COVID-19 National Lockdown Background: Low- and middle-income countries have reported higher traumatic brain injury (TBI) incidence and mortality rates in cases involving road traffic collisions (RTCs). In South Africa, RTCs are commonly reported as contributors to death; however, the current burden of TBI attributable to these deaths is unknown. Additionally, movement restrictions and behavioural changes introduced during the COVID-19 nationwide lockdown have been shown to affect injury patterns in general, but their impact on TBI is undocumented. This study aimed to investigate the epidemiology and patterns of TBI-associated deaths attributable to RTCs before and during the nationwide lockdown in South Africa. Methods: Autopsy reports of TBI-associated deaths due to RTCs, reported to Salt River Mortuary between 1 January 2019 and 31 December 2020, were reviewed. Results: A total of 616 RTCs, from the 7694 total caseload, were included with RTC-related TBIs accounting for 6.51% of the caseload across two years. Males were three times more likely to present with RTC-related TBIs compared to females. Individuals aged 30-39 years were at the highest risk of RTCs, and the median age of those with TBI (34 years) was significantly younger than those without (39 years, p < 0.001). Furthermore, the proportions of the TBI cases were comparable across all road user groups, all were equally likely to sustain TBI in an RTC. Two-thirds (66.18%) of individuals died before hospital admission. Of the 47.16% deceased individuals whose alcohol concentration was detectable, 92.96% had an alcohol level of ≥ 0.05 g/100 mL however we found no significant association between alcohol consumption and sustaining a TBI. Conclusion: These findings indicated that younger individuals are at a higher risk of TBI in RTC-related deaths. Furthermore, injury patterns did not seem to differ between the periods before compared to during the COVID-19 lockdown. 2025-09-12T09:17:49Z 2025-09-12T09:17:49Z 2025 2025-09-12T08:44:15Z Thesis / Dissertation Masters MPhil http://hdl.handle.net/11427/41793 en eng application/pdf Department of Pathology Faculty of Health Sciences University of Cape Town |
| spellingShingle | Traumatic Brain Injury Road Traffic Collision COVID-19 National Lockdown Mokgotho, Mahlatse Effect of the COVID-19 national lockdown on road traffic accident fatalities involving traumatic brain injury: A retrospective review of Salt River Mortuary cases |
| thesis_degree_str | Master's |
| title | Effect of the COVID-19 national lockdown on road traffic accident fatalities involving traumatic brain injury: A retrospective review of Salt River Mortuary cases |
| title_full | Effect of the COVID-19 national lockdown on road traffic accident fatalities involving traumatic brain injury: A retrospective review of Salt River Mortuary cases |
| title_fullStr | Effect of the COVID-19 national lockdown on road traffic accident fatalities involving traumatic brain injury: A retrospective review of Salt River Mortuary cases |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effect of the COVID-19 national lockdown on road traffic accident fatalities involving traumatic brain injury: A retrospective review of Salt River Mortuary cases |
| title_short | Effect of the COVID-19 national lockdown on road traffic accident fatalities involving traumatic brain injury: A retrospective review of Salt River Mortuary cases |
| title_sort | effect of the covid 19 national lockdown on road traffic accident fatalities involving traumatic brain injury a retrospective review of salt river mortuary cases |
| topic | Traumatic Brain Injury Road Traffic Collision COVID-19 National Lockdown |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/11427/41793 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT mokgothomahlatse effectofthecovid19nationallockdownonroadtrafficaccidentfatalitiesinvolvingtraumaticbraininjuryaretrospectivereviewofsaltrivermortuarycases |