Delta V, Principal Direction of Force, and Restraint Use Contributions to Motor Vehicle Crash Mortality

The study's objective was measurement of the combined contribution of restraint use, principal direction of force (PDOF), and change in velocity (delta v) on mortality after vehicular trauma. Patients < 8 years of age with two injuries with an Abbreviated Injury Scale score ≥ 2 or one injury with an Abbreviated Injury Scale score ≥3 who were vehicle occupants are included in the Crash Injury Research and Engineering Network population. Excluded were: patients in vehicles without airbags; in crashes with delta v > 80 km/h, unknown delta v, or unknown PDOF; back seat occupants; in rear collisions; or under the age of sixteen. Analysis of mortality was done in relation to PDOF using X squared, restraint use, and delta v (km/h). There was construction of multiple logistic regression models, which included such possible confounders as gender, age, and body mass index, as well as explorations of interactions. For all statistics, an [alpha] = 0.05 was used. Total cases included were 1,261. For unrestrained patients, there was higher mortality than for restrained patients (17% vs. 9%) and for lateral impact patients, there was also higher mortality than for frontal impact patients (17% vs. 11%). For delta v 40-80 km/h, higher mortality rates were also observed than for delta <40 km/h (17% vs. 9%). After adjusting for body mass index, gender, and age, multiple logistic regression findings revealed significant effects of delta v 40-80 km/h (odds ratio [OR] 3.65 [2.44-5.44]), unrestrained status (OR 2.95 [2.01-4.38]), and later PDOF (OR 3.05 [2.03-4.61]). Mortality is signficantly effected by lateral impact, lack of restraint use, and delta v 40 km/h to 80 km/h. Lateral PDOF and delta v 40-80 km/h were found to have a synergistic effect.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00225282
• Authors:
  • Ryb, Gabriel E
  • Dischinger, Patricia C
  • Kufera, Joseph A
  • Burch, Cynthia A
• Publication Date: 2007-11

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 1000-1005
• Serial:
  • Journal of Trauma, Injury, Infection and Critical Care
  • Volume: 63
  • Issue Number: 5
  • Publisher: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
  • ISSN: 0022-5282

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Age; Crash injuries; Crash injury research; Crashes; Fatalities; Gender; Impact; Logistic regression analysis; Restraint systems; Vehicle occupants; Velocity
• Uncontrolled Terms: Body mass index; Change; Delta-v; Mortality; Motor vehicle accidents; Principal direction of force
• Subject Areas: Highways; Passenger Transportation; Research; Safety and Human Factors; Society; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01082620
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Dec 18 2007 11:30AM