OBJECTIVE: To highlight the injuries that result from lap-belt use and make recommendations for prevention, the recent experience of a regional paediatric trauma centre was reviewed. METHODS: Retrospective review of admissions to Starship Children's Hospital from 1996 to 2003, with significant injury following involvement in a motor vehicle crash, while wearing a lap-belt. Patients were identified from two prospectively collected databases and discharge coding data. RESULTS: In total, 19 patients were identified over the 7 year period. The morbidity sustained includes 15 patients with hollow viscus injury, 13 laparotomies, 7 spinal fractures, 2 paraplegia and 1 fatality. A total of 11 patients required laparotomy with a median delay of 24 h. Of patients in the present series, 58% were aged less than 8 years and thus were inappropriately restrained. CONCLUSIONS: Lap-belt use can result in a range of life-threatening injuries or permanent disability in the paediatric population. The incidence of serious lap-belt injury does not appear to be decreasing. Morbidity and mortality could be reduced by the use of three-point restraints, age appropriate restraints and booster seats.
OBJECTIVE: To highlight the injuries that result from lap-belt use and make recommendations for prevention, the recent experience of a regional paediatric trauma centre was reviewed. METHODS: Retrospective review of admissions to Starship Children's Hospital from 1996 to 2003, with significant injury following involvement in a motor vehicle crash, while wearing a lap-belt. Patients were identified from two prospectively collected databases and discharge coding data. RESULTS: In total, 19 patients were identified over the 7 year period. The morbidity sustained includes 15 patients with hollow viscus injury, 13 laparotomies, 7 spinal fractures, 2 paraplegia and 1 fatality. A total of 11 patients required laparotomy with a median delay of 24 h. Of patients in the present series, 58% were aged less than 8 years and thus were inappropriately restrained. CONCLUSIONS:Lap-belt use can result in a range of life-threatening injuries or permanent disability in the paediatric population. The incidence of serious lap-belt injury does not appear to be decreasing. Morbidity and mortality could be reduced by the use of three-point restraints, age appropriate restraints and booster seats.
Authors: Karel Pycha; Michal Rygl; Daniel Blazek; Radan Keil; Jan Stulík; Jirí Snajdauf Journal: Pediatr Surg Int Date: 2008-04-26 Impact factor: 1.827
Authors: X Ma; P W Laud; F Pintar; J-E Kim; A Shih; W Shen; S B Heymsfield; D B Allison; S Zhu Journal: Int J Obes (Lond) Date: 2011-01-11 Impact factor: 5.095