Impact of Helmet Use in Traumatic Brain Injuries Associated with Recreational Vehicles

Abstract

Objective. To study the impact of helmet use on outcomes after recreational vehicle accidents. Methods. This is an observational cohort of adult and pediatric patients who sustained a TBI while riding a recreational vehicle. Recreational vehicles included bicycles, motorcycles, and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), as well as a category for other vehicles such as skateboards and scooters. Results. Lack of helmet use was significantly associated with having a more severe traumatic brain injury and being admitted to the hospital. Similarly, 25% of those who did wearing a helmet were admitted to the ICU versus 36% of those who did not (P = 0.0489). The hospital length of stay was significantly greater for patients who did not use helmets. Conclusion. Lack of helmet use is significantly correlated with abnormal neuroimaging and admission to the hospital and ICU; these data support a call for action to implement more widespread injury prevention and helmet safety education and advocacy.

Helmet use in bicycles and non‐motorised wheeled recreational vehicles in children

“…As parental role modelling has great influence on any child activity, educational programmes must be targeted to not only children but to parents as well . It is also necessary to educate community members, including sale staff/manufacturers, so they can pass on to buyers the importance of helmet use . Correlating with greater helmet compliance, in this study, where legal requirements existed, research has shown that legislation can increase helmet use by four‐fold and is also the most cost‐effective method of increasing bicycle helmet use .…”

Paediatric recreational vehicle‐related head injuries presenting to the emergency department of a major paediatric trauma centre in Australia: Is there room for improvement?

“…Head injuries (HIs) are one of the most common reasons for presentation to the paediatric ED and the leading cause of death and disability in children older than 1 year . Trauma associated with the use of recreational vehicles (RV) represents a growing cause of HIs . Of all RV‐related injuries, HI is associated with the highest rates of admission, long‐term disability and death …”

“…Helmet use reduces the risk of death and severe HI in both non‐motorised and motorised RV‐related incidents. Introduction of mandatory helmet laws has proven effective in increasing helmet use in bicycle riders in a number of jurisdictions (in Australia, Canada and the United States) .…”

“…[2][3][4] Of all RV-related injuries, HI is associated with the highest rates of admission, long-term disability and death. 3,5 Helmet use reduces the risk of death and severe HI in both non-motorised [5][6][7] and motorised 2,4 RV-related incidents. Introduction of mandatory helmet laws has proven effective in increasing helmet use in bicycle riders in a number of jurisdictions (in Australia, Canada and the United States).…”

Recreational motor vehicle use and facial trauma

“…Although many studies have described the consequences of ATV‐related injuries, there have been few that have investigated facial trauma related to off‐road vehicles. Some studies have investigated the use of helmets with off‐road vehicles, particularly with traumatic brain injuries, ocular injuries, and craniofacial fractures, but few have utilized nationally representative data with regard to head and neck trauma. Health care providers in a wide variety of specialties, including emergency medicine, trauma surgery, otolaryngology–head and neck surgery, plastic surgery, and orthopedic surgery, are integral in the care of patients affected by off‐road vehicle trauma.…”