Analyzing Pediatric Bicycle Injuries using Geo-Demographic Data
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Read the article on jpedsurg.org ↗Article · Jan 2022 · 1 min read
In brief
In brief
Retrospective study of 77 pediatric bicycle injuries over 8 years reveals 98% were not wearing helmets, with 44% experiencing loss of consciousness and 21% sustaining traumatic brain injury. Spatial clustering analysis identified geographic hotspots to guide targeted prevention programs and helmet education campaigns.
Written by the GCMD Library team from the article.
Purpose
Bicycle accidents are potentially preventable, and helmets can mitigate the severity of injuries. The purpose of the study it to investigate geo-demographic areas to establish prevention policies and targeted programs.
Methods
From October 2013 to March 2020 all bicycle injuries at a Level 1 trauma center were collected for ages ≤18 years. Demographics, injuries, and outcomes were analyzed. Incidents were aggregated to zip codes and the Local Indicators of Spatial Association (LISA) statistic was used to test for spatial clustering of injury rates per 10,000 children.
Results
Over the 8-year time period, 77 cases were identified with an average age of 13±4 years, 83% male and 48% non-Hispanic white. The majority of patients (98%) were not wearing a helmet. Loss of consciousness was reported in 44% and 21% sustained a traumatic brain injury. Twenty-eight percent required ICU care and 36% required operative interventions. There was only 1 mortality in the cohort (