Imaging findings in 512 children following all-terrain vehicle injuries
Chetan C Shah1, Raghu H Ramakrishnaiah, Sadaf T Bhutta
1Department of Pediatric Radiology, Arkansas Children's Hospital, Little Rock, AR, USA. shahchetanc@uams.edu
Insights
All-terrain vehicle (ATV) injuries in children commonly involve the head and extremities, leading to long-term disability. These findings highlight the significant risks associated with children operating ATVs.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Traumatology
- Radiology
- Public Health
Background:
- Childhood injuries from all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) are rising.
- Radiologists require better understanding of injury patterns in pediatric ATV trauma.
Purpose of the Study:
- Identify radiologically diagnosed injuries in children from ATV trauma.
- Determine injury associations and their impact on outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of imaging studies for 512 children with ATV injuries.
- Multivariate analysis correlating injury frequency and outcomes.
Main Results:
- Head injuries (48%) and extremity fractures (34%) were most common.
- Head injuries and extremity fractures predicted long-term disability or death.
- Associated injuries included skull fractures, brain and orbit trauma, and multiorgan injuries.
Conclusions:
- Head and extremity injuries are prevalent and linked to long-term disability in pediatric ATV incidents.
- ATV use poses a significant safety threat to children.
Background:
Injuries related to all-terrain vehicle (ATV) use by children have increased in recent years, and the pattern of these injuries is not well known among radiologists.
Objective:
Our purpose was to identify different radiologically diagnosed injuries in children suffering ATV-related trauma and determine associations among various injuries as well as between injuries and outcome.
Materials And Methods:
The study included 512 consecutive children suffering from ATV injuries treated at a tertiary care pediatric hospital. All imaging studies were reviewed and correlated with injury frequency and outcome using multivariate analysis.
Results:
Head injuries occurred in 244 children (48%) and in five of six deaths. Calvarial skull fractures occurred in 104 children and were associated with brain, subdural and epidural injuries. Brain and orbit injuries were associated with long-term disability. A total of 227 extremity fractures were present in 172 children (34%). The femur was the most commonly fractured bone. Nine children had partial foot amputations. Multiorgan injuries occurred in nearly half of the 97 children with torso injuries. Determinants for long-term disability or death were head injuries (odds ratio 3.4) and extremity fractures (odds ratio 3.3).
Conclusion:
Head and extremity injuries are the two most common injuries in children suffering ATV injuries and are associated with long-term disability. ATV use by children is dangerous and is a significant threat to child safety.
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