Pediatric Handlebar Injuries: More Than Meets the Abdomen
Injuries from bicycle accidents are of two main types: those incurred in falling off bicycles, and those from the rider’s body striking against the bicycle. In the second category, most injuries happen when a child’s body strikes the bicycle handlebar. The authors evaluated body presentation and location, injury severity, and need for handlebar injuries treatment at a pediatric emergency center, comparing these to other bicycle-related injuries in children. The authors present a review of the trauma registry over an 8-year period at the emergency center. Individual charts were examined for demographic factors, injury details, and other clinical or radiographic information. Each patient was categorized as having a handlebar or other injury, and each patient's injuries were also classed according to affected body areas and the need for treatment. Three hundred and eighty-five (385) patients who met study criteria were identified, with bicycle handlebars being involved in 27.8% (107) injuries and 72.2% (278) being other injuries. There were differences in injury severity score, Head Abbreviated Injury Scale, and length of hospital stay between patients with handlebar versus other injuries. There were also differences in incidence of injuries across most body zones between patients with handlebar versus other injuries. There was statistically significant difference in need for treatment of abdominal solid organ injuries among handlebar injuries versus other injuries. The bicycle handlebar is a unique mechanism of injury, with the body location, need for treatment, and the nature of the injury varying greatly. Handlebar injuries are likely to occur in abdominal and soft tissues, while other injuries are more likely in body extremities and the skull, neck, or central nervous system. Even within the same body area, handlebar injuries can be very different to other injuries, such as orthopedic vs vascular injuries in body extremities. Physical examination and observation remain of prime importance when laboratory and radiographic investigations yield uncertain results.
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Availability:
- Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/07495161
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Authors:
- Vandewalle, Robert J
- Barker, Shawn J
- Raymond, Jodi L
- Brown, Brandon P
- Rouse, Thomas M
- Publication Date: 2021
Language
- English
Media Info
- Media Type: Web
- Features: Figures; References; Tables;
- Pagination: e517-e523
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Serial:
- Pediatric Emergency Care
- Volume: 37
- Issue Number: 9
- Publisher: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
- ISSN: 0749-5161
- EISSN: 1535-1815
- Serial URL: http://journals.lww.com/pec-online/pages/default.aspx
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Abdomen; Bicycle crashes; Children; Handlebars; Injuries
- Subject Areas: Pedestrians and Bicyclists; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 01839419
- Record Type: Publication
- Files: TRIS
- Created Date: Mar 23 2022 10:52AM