Medical and economic parameters of motorcycle-induced trauma

A retrospective study was conducted on all patients injured in a motorcycle accident who were admitted to the authors' institution during a one-year period. The 71 patients evaluated averaged 26 years of age; 79% were men, 75% were not wearing a helmet, and 24% were legally intoxicated. Sixty-six percent required surgical intervention and 36% a second procedure. There were 167 fractures, with an average of 2.4 per patient. The 27 patients requiring a blood transfusion averaged 10.5 units per patient. Motorcyclists not wearing a helmet had an increased risk of head injury (p less than .01). Those with head injuries had an increased need for intensive care (p less than .0001) and a ventilator (p less than .001). Patients with head injuries more commonly sustained fractures about the shoulder (p less than .015) than fractures to the lower extremity (p less than .005). The average hospital stay was 13 days, with a cost of $16,408 per patient. The cost was significantly higher in patients with a head injury ($21,945) than in patients without a head injury ($11,941). Patients sustaining a head injury were less likely to return to baseline functioning (p less than .001).