MUST SEE CHILD INJURY PREVENTION SESSIONS! - Safekids

TRAUMA TEAM UPDATE: Starship Children’s Health
Major sponsor:
Child cycling injury admissions to Starship
Children’s Hospital January 2007 to December 2011
Data supplied by Rangi Dansey, Starship Trauma Systems Coordinator. Analysis by Dr Patricia Bolton, Safekids NZ Policy Analyst
During the 5 year period from January 2007 to December 2011,
301 children between the ages of 0-14 years were admitted to
Starship Children’s Hospital with unintentional cycling related
injuries. This number of admissions equates to an average of 5
admissions per month.
Demographics
Demographics of cycling injuries aligned with national data 1 , with
the highest number of admissions being for Māori and European
males aged 10-14 years. Fifty-eight percent (173) of cycling related
admissions were children aged 10-14 years, thirty-eight percent
(115) aged 5-9 years, and four percent (13) aged 0-4 years. The
average age at admission was 10 years.
The majority of children admitted were male (77%, 233). Nineteen
percent (56) of children admitted were coded as Māori, eleven
percent (34) Pacific, fifty-seven percent (171) European, six percent
(18) Asian and seven percent (22) Other.
Cycling injury admissions Jan 2007- Dec 2011 by ethnicity and age
0-4 years 5-9 years 10-14 years Total
Māori 4 15 37 56
Pacific 4 16 14 34
European 4 64 103 171
Asian 0 9 9 18
Other 1 11 10 22
Total 13 115 173 301
Seasonal trend
Child cycling related admissions varied by month of the year, with
the highest number of admissions during the warmer months of
January-March.
Place and mechanism
The major places where injuries occurred were the street (117, 39%),
followed by recreational areas (71, 24%) and the home (60, 20%).
Fourteen percent (43) of accidents were coded as traffic accidents
involving a motor-vehicle; the remaining eighty-six percent (258) of
accidents were not traffic related.
The main causes of injury were described as falling off, losing
control, striking against/accidentally struck and motor vehicle
collison (including collison with cars exiting driveways) 2 .
Farm, 1, 0%
Mine, 1, 0%
Public Building, 3, 1%
Unknown, 18, 6%
Other, 31, 10%
Home, 60, 20%
PLACE OF INJURY
Injury location and type
When categorised by body region:
Street, 117, 39%
Recreation, 71, 24%
• The upper extremity was the most common site of injury (38%,
183), and upper extremity fractures were the leading cause of
injury (36%, 171).
• Fractures to the lower extremity (11%, 52), and abrasions,
lacerations and contusions to the head and neck (10%, 48),
lower extremity (9%, 43) and trunk (9%, 43) were the next most
common injuries sustained.
• Internal organ injury (8%, 36), and head and neck fracture (7%,
32) were also prominent injuries.
Cycling injury by body region 3
Head and neck total
• Concussion
• Cerebral haemorrhage
• Fracture
• Abrasion/laceration/contusion
Upper extremity total
• Fracture
• Abrasion/laceration/contusion
• Other
Lower extremity total
• Fracture
• Abrasion/laceration/contusion
• Other
Trunk total
• Internal organ injury
• Fracture
• Abrasion/laceration/contusion
Cycling injury
(n=480) percentage
120
18
22
32
48
183
171
11
1
96
52
43
1
81
36
2
43
25%
4%
5%
7%
10%
38%
36%
2%
0%
20%
11%
9%
0%
17%
8%
0%
9%
Injury severity
Using the Injury Severity Score (ISS) (an internationally recognised
method for calculating the combined severity of injuries sustained)
ten percent (30) of injuries were moderate or severe (ISS ≥ 10).
Length of hospital admission
The median length of hospital admission for all children was 2 days.
Median length of admission for moderate or severe injury (ISS ≥ 10)
was 5.5 days; median length of admission for all other cases (ISS <
10) was 1 day.
Helmet use
Helmet use was unknown for 56 percent (170) of admissions. Of
the remaining admissions (44%, 131), fifty-three percent (69) were
wearing a helmet when injured, and forty-seven percent (62) were not
wearing a helmet when injured. For the 131 admissions where use of
helmets was documented, there was no difference in helmet use by
gender or age. Differences in helmet use by ethnicity may be present,
however the high number of unknown helmet use limits interpretation.
Key Safety Messages for Child Cyclists:
• Be smart – plan safe cycle routes with an adult, the best riders
are skilled riders.
• Be safe – no helmet no bike.
• Be seen – wear bright colours and use reflective gear.
Key Safety Messages for Drivers
• Slow Down and Look Out For Kids.
1 Safekids New Zealand. Safekids New Zealand Position Paper: Child Cycling Injury
Prevention. Auckland, Safekids New Zealand: 2012.
2 Due to data description limitations figures for causes are not provided, so as to avoid
inaccuracy and misrepresentation.
3 A total of 486 injuries were coded for the 301 admissions. Six of these injuries (3
abrasions and 3 contusions) are not included in the table as the body region affected was
not specified.
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Safekids News: September 2012 Issue No 58