Clinical Implications of the Seat Belt Sign in Blunt Trauma

Patients with the seat belt sign (SBS) from motor vehicle crashes (MVCs) are prone to specific regional injury patterns. Investigators at a Level 1 trauma center analyzed the incidence, clinical implications, and spectrum of regional injuries in patients injured in MVC over 2 years. SBS was seen in 11.3% of patients injured in MVCs and 20.5% of patients with known restraint use. Restrained patients were less severely injured with lower injury severity scores (7.62 vs 11.33) and mortality (1.1 vs 5.7%). Patients with SBS had lower mortality rates than patients without SBS (1.4 vs 3.7%). Thoraco-abdominal injuries were present in 47% (34 of 72) of patients with SBS. Compared with patients without SBS, patients had a higher incidence of hollow viscous injuries (HVI) and solid organ trauma (8 and 17% vs 1 and 3%, P < 0.05); splenic trauma was 24-fold higher (9.7 vs 0.4%), liver injuries 3.1-fold higher (6 vs 3%), and rib fractures 2.4-fold higher (P < 0.05). Children had 2.8-fold higher rates of HVI (18 vs 9%, P < 0.05). SBS is associated with underlying regional injuries in nearly half of patients with a higher prevalence of HVI and solid organ trauma.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00031348
• Authors:
  • Sharma, Om P
  • Oswanski, Michael F
  • Kaminski, Brian P
  • Issa, Nabil
  • Duffy, Brian
  • Stringfellow, Kathryn
  • Lauer, Sherry K
  • Stombaugh, Heather A
• Publication Date: 2009-9

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 822-827
• Serial:
  • American Surgeon
  • Volume: 75
  • Issue Number: 9
  • Publisher: Southeastern Surgical Congress
  • ISSN: 0003-1348
  • EISSN: 1555-9823
  • Serial URL: http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/sesc/tas

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Crash injury research; Injuries; Injury causes; Injury types; Safety equipment; Seat belts; Traffic crashes; Vehicle occupants
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; I84: Personal Injuries; I85: Safety Devices used in Transport Infrastructure;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01148050
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jan 25 2010 8:07AM