Statewide assessment of injury and death rates among riders of off-road vehicles treated at trauma centers.
BACKGROUND
Injuries and deaths among riders of off-road motorized all-terrain vehicles are increasing in the US. We hypothesized that serious injuries in Oregon have increased among riders of both four-wheel and two-wheel vehicles.


METHODS
We analyzed the Oregon Trauma Registry. Seriously injured patients treated in the state's designated urban and rural trauma centers were identified using E-codes (821.0 to 821.9), which indicate whether patients were riding either an off-road all-terrain four-wheel vehicle (ATV) or off-road two-wheeled motorcycle (ORMC). Second, we performed a supplemental analysis of similar patients in the trauma registry of Oregon's University-based tertiary care trauma center. Patients in earlier time periods were compared with those in later time periods.


RESULTS
Patients injured riding off-road vehicles and needing treatment in Oregon's trauma centers increased 76%. Sixty percent of patients were injured riding an ATV, and 35% were injured riding an ORMC. Children (aged younger than 15 years) were 20% and 23% of patients in the earlier and later years. At Oregon's University-based Level I trauma center, in the years 2002 to 2005, more than twice as many patients needed tertiary care for severe injuries caused by off-road vehicle crashes compared with the previous 4 years.


CONCLUSIONS
There has been an alarming increase in the number of both ATV and ORMC riders requiring treatment in Oregon's trauma centers. Surgeons need to join a coalition of health care providers, citizens and public officials to implement a comprehensive injury-prevention response to this epidemic.
Mullins
Richard J
RJ
Department of Surgery, Oregon Health and Science University, School of Medicine, Portland, OR, USA.
Brand
Dawn
D
Lenfesty
Barbara
B
Newgard
Craig D
CD
Hedges
Jerris R
JR
Ham
Bruce
B
D000059:Accidents / Q000401:mortality / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002423:Cause of Death; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015541:Off-Road Motor Vehicles / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009922:Oregon / Q000453:epidemiology; D012042:Registries; D012423:Rural Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012737:Sex Factors; D014193:Trauma Centers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014504:Urban Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control