Recreational motorcycle accidents among children. A prospective analysis

(Ibrahim bin Mohammed Habdan)

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Abstract

Objective: To analyze injuries in children  below 14 years of age due to motorcycle accidents during the Eid Al-Adha holidays of 1419 higri.
Design: This is a study of all children seen in emergency room with recreational motorcycle accidents.
Settings: King Fahd Hospital of the University, Al-Khobar.
Subjects: Thirty-nine children were admitted to the emergency room with motorcycle crashes who needed medical care were included in the study group.
Results: Thirty-three boys and 6 girls with a mean age of 10 years (Range 5-14 years SD 2.643) were seen in the emergency room. They suffered 23 fractures, 1 dislocation and 26 soft tissue injuries, like lacerations, cut wounds and friction burns etc. Nine children required hospitalization, whereas the rest, after treatment were referred to outpatient clinics for further follow-up.
Conclusions and Recommendations: Recreational motorcycle accidents causing grievous injuries to the unprotected children appears to be on the rise.  Physicians should not sit at the sidelines and treat these injuries but in collaboration with the concerned departments to formulate ways to prevent these injuries.

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