Chapter I INTRODUCTION

Vehicular accidents are the most common sort of personal injury cases. It happens almost every day. Our busy streets demand great caution coming from us. Driving in such a busy highways and roads may put our lives in danger, including ourselves and might be our loved ones. May it be caused by other careless drivers, vehicle defects, improper traffic control devices, and driving after drinking. Vehicular accidents may result from slight to serious property damages and injuries. Vehicular accidents are continuously increasing and can be categorized as one of the leading causes of death in our time. This is very much evident in the newspapers and reports we encounter and see daily. Many lives have been affected by these tragedies. About 80% of all reported motorcycle accidents result in injury or death, with head injury as the most common type. Seen as the most devastating of all vehiclerelated accidents, the number of motorcycle accidents continues to rise world-wide. Because of the little protection that motorcycle riders have, they oftentimes incur a lot of physical injuries like broken bones, brain and spinal cord injuries, fractures, amputations, and even death. Statistics show that a bike rider is 83% more likely to be injured on the road as compared to anyone riding other types of vehicles.

In the course of this study, 36 year-old, Sir C, who is known to be a rider and fond of joining motorcycle competitions, had encountered an accident in his motorcycle on his way home. It was around 9:30 in the evening on the 26 th of January, 2011 when a tricycle driver hit him along the road at Purok Malakas, Brgy. San Isidro, General Santos City. It was said that the driver of the tricycle was drunk that time. The people present in the area of incident immediately brought him to the nearest hospital which is the Mindanao Medical Center Inc. He was then subjected for admission and on the dawn of January 27, a stat debridement with joint exploration was ordered. The study focuses on the effect and treatment of the injuries that are caused by usual road accidents which may lead people to worst situation which is death. The patient is in his middle adulthood and like any other adults, they work and earn for a living to support and provide the needs of his family. It is for this reason why the student nurses decided to have the case. To give awareness and knowledge of what would be the effect into ones self and loved ones if there will be no further precaution especially on those responsible in driving the vehicle. Still, prevention is better than cure. Many motorcycle accidents happen because of not wearing protective gears. Wearing a helmet lowers a motorcycle rider's risk of fatal injury by 29% and reduces the risk of traumatic brain injury by 67%. This will be a big implication in the medical and nursing care since prompt attention and medical assistance is needed in times of emergencies like this. Thus, complications can be prevented and health care providers could be able to save the persons valued life.
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