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Maintenance of a Lateral Fluid Percussion Injury Device
Published on: April 21, 2023
Personal watercraft injuries: 62 patients admitted to the San Diego County trauma services
Choll W Kim1, Jeffrey M Smith, Alex Lee
1Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, UCSD Medical Center-8894, University of California-San Diego, 350 Dickinson Street, San Diego, CA 92103-8894, USA. chollkim@ucsd.edu
Objective:
To determine the types and patterns of injuries seen in personal watercraft (PWC) accidents.
Design:
A retrospective review of medical records and imaging studies.
Setting:
Level 1 and 2 trauma centers in San Diego County, California.
Patients/Participants:
Trauma patients treated for PWC-related injuries between 1984 and 1997.
Main Outcome Measurements:
Evaluation of injury patterns via chart review and imaging studies.
Intervention:
None.
Results:
A total of 62 patients were identified. The average age was 23 years (range 2-59 years). There were 41 males and 21 females. A total of 35 injuries (56%) involved another PWC. Of patients, 24 had loss of consciousness, with 8 closed head injuries. There were 17 chest injuries, with 10 pneumothoraces, and 16 lower extremity fractures (9 femur, 3 hip, 3 tibia-fibula, and 1 patella).
Conclusions:
Injuries related to PWC have increased dramatically over the past several years, becoming one of the leading causes of recreational water-sport injuries. This study supports a high level of awareness for significant blunt trauma to the chest and lower extremities in patients involved in PWC accidents.
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