title: Factors influencing pediatric injury in side impact collisions.
abstract: Side impacts collisions pose a great risk to children in crashes but information about the injury mechanisms is limited. The heights and weights of children vary widely and as a result, the injury patterns may vary across the pediatric age range. This study involves a case series of children in side impact collisions who were identified through Partners for Child Passenger Safety, a large child-focused crash surveillance system. The aim of the current study was to use in-depth crash investigations to identify injury mechanisms to children in side impact collisions. 93 children in 55 side impact crashes were studied. 23% (n = 22) of the children received an AIS > or = 2 (clinically significant) injury. In these 22 children, head (39%), extremity (22%), and abdominal injuries (17%) were the most common significant injuries. The cases revealed that serious injuries occur even in minor crashes. Cases that illustrate body region-specific injury mechanisms are discussed.
authors.affiliation: TraumaLink and the Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
authors.forename: K B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Arbogast
authors.forename: E K
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Moll
authors.forename: S D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Anderko
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Durbin
authors.forename: F K
authors.initials: FK
authors.lastname: Winston
mesh_terms: D015998:Abbreviated Injury Scale; D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D001827:Body Height; D001835:Body Weight; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D010414:Pennsylvania / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*