Pediatric pedestrian injuries: emergency care considerations.
Pedestrian traffic injuries are a growing public health threat worldwide. The global economic burden of motor vehicle collisions and pedestrian injuries approximates $500 billion. In the United States, the number of pedestrian fatalities increased from 4675 in 2004 to 4881 in 2005. In addition nearly 60,000 injuries occurred during the same year. Injury patterns vary depending on the age, sex, and socioeconomic status of the individual. Children comprise one of the most vulnerable populations in pedestrian traffic injuries. Pedestrian injury remains the second leading cause of unintentional injury-related death among children aged 5 to 14 years. The burden of injury, upon the individual, families, and society, is frequently overwhelming. From recent data, pedestrian injuries and deaths are increasing in the United States and the World, and they require particular attention by emergency care providers and policy makers.
Chakravarthy
Bharath
B
Center for Trauma and Injury Prevention Research, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA. bchakrav@uci.edu
Vaca
Federico E
FE
Lotfipour
Shahram
S
Bradley
Darlene
D
D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000293:Adolescent; D017677:Age Distribution; D000367:Age Factors; D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication / Q000453:epidemiology; D015984:Causality; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D005260:Female; D014943:Global Health; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*