[Seat belt syndrome. Acute spinal cord injury due to incorrect use of two-point seat belts].
Traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) is a rare entity in the pediatric age group. These injuries are mainly caused by road traffic accidents (RTA), especially in children not wearing a seat belt. The use of child safety devices such as seat belt restraints has decreased morbidity and mortality in RTA but their incorrect use can also produce serious injuries that are grouped under the term "seat-belt syndrome". This syndrome associates vertebral and spinal cord injuries, intra-abdominal, cutaneous, and muscle-skeletal lesions. We present three patients with complete spinal cord and intra-abdominal injuries, requiring urgent surgery in two of them. On examination, all three patients had seat belt marks on the lower abdominal region. The three patients can be included in this syndrome and its main cause was the use of a two-point seat belt.
Gargallo Burriel
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E
Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos Pediátricos, Universidad de Barcelona, Spain. egargallo@hsjdbcn.org
Palomeque Rico
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A
Claret Teruel
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G
Pons Odena
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M
Cambra Lasaosa
F J
FJ
D000063:Accidents, Traffic; D000208:Acute Disease; D002648:Child; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012622:Seat Belts / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000209:etiology*