title: Pediatric seat belt injuries.
abstract: Two cases are reported that reiterate the significance of pediatric seat belt usage. Detection of associated injuries is difficult and often delayed. The presence of intra-abdominal free fluid on CT without solid organ injury should indicate the need for surgical intervention. Diagnostic peritoneal lavage usage in pediatric seat belt trauma may need to be re-evaluated. These cases emphasize the above as well as important postinjury clinical changes necessary for earlier diagnosis. A newly designed youth seat belt is presented to help prevent these injuries.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Spartanburg Regional Medical Center, South Carolina, USA.
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Camp
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: James
authors.forename: H G
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Kelley
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D050723:Fractures, Bone; D006801:Humans; D007583:Jejunum / Q000293:injuries*; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000293:injuries*; D012622:Seat Belts / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000209:etiology*