PEDIATRIC ALL-TERRAIN-VEHICLE TRAUMA - A 5-YEAR STATEWIDE EXPERIENCE

Background/Purpose: This is a retrospective review of the pediatric al l-terrain vehicle trauma victims who presented to the five major traum a centers serving the state of West Virginia during the 5-year period from January 1991 to December 1995. The purpose of this research is to characterize the nature of the injuries and the individuals injured t o better appreciate the magnitude of the problem of ATV-related injuri es in the pediatric population. Methods: This study is a retrospective review of these 218 consecutive pediatric patients from trauma regist ry data and their medical records. Results: Two hundred eighteen patie nts between the ages of 2 years and 16 years presented during the stud y period. Boys outnumbered girls three to one. The average Injury Seve rity Score (ISS) was 8.76, the average Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) was 14 .4, and the average Trauma Score (TS) was 15.2. The most common injuri es were orthopedic followed by head and facial injuries. The majority of the children did not wear helmets, and their injuries resulted in a n average hospital length of stay of 4.3 days. Thirty-eight percent of the children required surgery. There were a total of four deaths for a mortality rate of 1.8%. The estimated total hospitalization cost for the 218 patients was $1,918,400.00. Conclusions: All-terrain vehicle- related trauma remains an ongoing safety concern facing society today. Every physician who cares for children should address this important issue when talking to children and parents about safety issues and inj ury prevention. J Pediatr Surg 33:1081-1083. Copyright (C) 1998 by W.B . Saunders Company.