Development of a concise injury severity prediction model for pediatric patients involved in a motor vehicle collision

Most emergency medical service personnel rely on one of two techniques to extricate motor vehicle crash victims; the Rapid Extrication Maneuver (REM) or the Kendrick Extrication Device (KED). The purpose of this study was to compare pre- and postextrication neurological outcomes between these two techniques. A retrospective review was conducted of all adult patients with a vertebral column injury resulting from motor vehicle collision and admitted to a Level I trauma center between January 1, 2003 and December 31, 2010. Standardized pre- and postextrication neurological examinations were reviewed for all patients. More than half of patients (N = 81) were extricated using the KED (53.1%, n = 43) and 46.9 per cent (n = 38) were extricated with the REM. Except for the thoracic Abbreviated Injury Score, no differences between groups emerged related to the Glasgow Coma Scale score, Injury Severity Score or Abbreviated Injury Score. There were no pre- and postextrication changes for motor to all extremities and sensation to all extremities using either method. The results of this study suggest that the REM and the KED are equivalent in protecting the patient from neurologic injury after motor vehicle collision.

Download Full-text

Thoracolumbar junction injuries after motor vehicle collision: are there differences in restrained and nonrestrained front seat occupants?

Journal of Neurosurgery Spine ◽

10.3171/spi-07/09/311 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 7 (3) ◽

pp. 311-314 ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

Joji Inamasu ◽

Bernard H. Guiot

Keyword(s):

Neurological Deficit ◽

Injury Severity ◽

Motor Vehicle ◽

Seat Belt ◽

Motor Vehicle Collision ◽

Fracture Dislocation ◽

Thoracolumbar Junction ◽

Front Seat ◽

Vehicle Collision ◽

High Incidence

Object Motor vehicle collision (MVC) is one of the most common causes of thoracolumbar junction (TLJ) injury. Although there is little doubt that the use of seat belts reduces the incidence and severity of TLJ injury after MVC, the mechanism by which this is protective against TLJ injury for drivers and passengers is relatively unknown. Methods Thirty-nine patients with TLJ (T11–L2) injury who were front seat occupants of a four-wheeled vehicle at the time of MVC (frontal crash) were admitted between 2000 and 2004. The 39 patients were divided into two groups: 18 who had been restrained and 21 who had not been restrained at the time of the MVC. Patient demographics, including the mean Injury Severity Scale score, incidence of neurological deficit, level of TLJ injury, and type of TLJ injury according to the Denis classification were compared. Results The incidence of neurological deficit in the restrained group was significantly lower compared with the nonrestrained group (5.6% compared with 33.3%, p < 0.05). The incidence of flexion–distraction/fracture–dislocation injuries in the restrained group was also significantly lower (0.0% compared with 33.3% in the nonrestrained group, p < 0.01). The restrained group was significantly older (37.4 ± 3.6 years compared with 28.0 ± 2.5 years in the nonrestrained group, p < 0.05), but otherwise there were no significant differences between the two groups regarding the patients' demographic data. Conclusions It is likely that the high incidence of neurological deficit in the nonrestrained front seat motor vehicle occupants who had a TLJ injury was mostly due to the high incidence of flexion–distraction/fracture–dislocation injuries. This retrospective study indirectly shows the efficacy of three-point seat belt systems in reducing the severity of a TLJ injury after an MVC. Compression/burst fractures still occur in restrained front seat occupants, however, and elucidation of the injury mechanism of such axial loading fractures may be important to improve safety further for automobile occupants.

Download Full-text