INTRODUCTION

In the West trauma is known to be the leading cause of death in the first four decades of life.In the US trauma admissions have steadily grown in the last decade.

Similar trends are underway in today’s third world countries with increase in many injury-related causes of death. Rates of injury related deaths in third world countries today are higher than in developed countries. Overall injury related deaths in third world countries are 89 per 100,000 compared with 51 per 100,000 in developed nations.

Attention to the spectrum of injury control has in fact lowered rates of trauma related deaths to the lowest levels recorded in the past 100 years in both USA and Europe.

The three cornerstones in the spectrum of injury control are surveillance, prevention and treatment. Most developed countries have well developed surveillance systems specifically for injury, such as Fatality Analysis Reporting System for automotive deaths in the United States.

Keeping this in view RMC and Allied Hospitals have launched a program of trauma surveillance in order to collect comprehensive data regarding trauma presenting at Holy Family Hospital , Rawalpindi General Hospital and District Headquaters Hospitals. The program will run for one year and has commenced from 2nd July 2007.

The purpose of this research is to collect ongoing data regarding the extent and characteristics of trauma in urban Pakistan. Trauma surveillance will immensely contribute in implementation of trauma guidelines which is the aim of this research.