QUAD BIKE-RELATED CHEST TRAUMA: PATTERNS AND OUTCOMES ahefny@uaeu.ac.ae

 

QUAD BIKE-RELATED CHEST TRAUMA: PATTERNS AND OUTCOMES

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United Arab Emirates

Poster with Discussion

Quad bike-related trauma is a rising cause of blunt chest injuries, especially in regions where recreational and occupational use of all-terrain vehicles is common. These high-energy impacts can result in serious thoracic injuries. We aimed to study the significance of chest injuries in hospitalized quad bike riders and their relationship to injury severity and outcomes.

Data of all patients who were admitted to Al Ain Hospital with thoracic injury due to quad bike trauma were retrospectively collected from December 2014 through March 2020. The injury details of all patients were retrieved from Al Ain Hospital trauma registry. The data included demographics, vital signs, Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) on admission, injured body regions, Injury Severity Score (ISS), management, length of hospital stay (LOS), complications, and mortality.

During the study period, 17 patients with blunt chest injuries due to quad bike trauma were included in the trauma registry. Of those patients, 16 (94.1%) were male and only one (5.9%) was female. The most commonly injured extra-thoracic region was the spine in 7 (41.2%) patients. The median (SD) length of hospital stay was 3 (4) days. Two patients (11.8%) were admitted to the ICU, and two patients (11.8%) had a chest tube inserted. 15 (88.2%) patients were treated conservatively

Quad bike-related chest injuries primarily affect young desert bikers in the UAE. The spine was the most commonly injured extra-thoracic region. Legislative intervention and increased public awareness campaigns are essential in preventing this subset of trauma.