Epidemiological Study of Road Accidents in a Caribbean Island, Marie-Galante

Aim: Road trauma represents 13.1 deaths per 105 inhabitants in Guadeloupe. Marie-Galante (MG), an island of the Guadeloupe archipelago, located in the French West Indies, is strongly impacted by road accidents. The care of these victims involves organizational specificities linked to the geography and the care system. The aims of this work are the epidemiological description of road accident victims in MG and the evaluation of initial medical management of the most severe victims.Methods: Retrospective observational study, from 2016 to 2018, included victims managed by the emergency medical service and resuscitation (Smur) and the Sainte-Marie Hos-pital (SMH) in MG. Patients were categorized by severity: unstable, critical, potentially severe, or stable.Results: During the 3 years, 499 victims required a rescue: 164 (33%) involving light vehicles, 217 (43%) motorized two-wheelers, and 60 (12%) bicycles. The population was young (29 [21-49] years) and predominantly male (sex-ratio H/F 1.3). The SMH managed 467 (95%) victims, 6 (1%) unstable, 11 (2%) critical, 142 (28%) potentially severe, and 264 (53%) stable; 7 (1%) were directly transfer-red to the Guadeloupe University Hospital (GUH) by heli-copter, 52 (10%) secondarily after a SMH first support. All unstable patients and 10 of 11 (91%) critical patients were admitted to the GUH.Conclusion: This study highlights the high incidence of road traumas in MG. Therefore, the creation of a trauma manage-ment protocol should make possible the improvement of medical management.