title: Trend of severe abdominal injuries from bicycle accidents in children: a preventable condition.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Bicycle riding is a common recreational and sport activity enjoyed by many children. Bicycle accidents are a common cause of abdominal injuries. We aim to establish the trend and the associated risk factor(s) of bicycle-related abdominal injuries.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective review of all children admitted following bicycle accidents to a single tertiary referral centre was carried out over an approximately 5-year period. The data were tabulated and regression analyses were carried out.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Over the study period, 196 children were admitted into the Emergency Department. Abdominal injuries (16%) were the third largest group after orthopaedic and head injuries. There were 19 major visceral injuries, seven of whom underwent major surgeries. Forty-two percent (8/19) of these major injuries were related to stunts. Over the same period, no child with head injury required any surgical intervention. In addition, there was a definite trend that abdominal injuries were accounting for greater percentage of bicycle-related injuries in children.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Severe intra-abdominal trauma following bicycle injuries appears to be seen more often in adolescent males, especially when related to BMX stunts. These injuries have surpassed head injuries as the prime cause of morbidity from bicycle accidents. These injuries are largely preventable.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatric Surgery, Monash Children's, Monash Medical Centre, Southern Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Mathievathaniy
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Muthucumaru
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Keys
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kimber
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ferguson
authors.forename: Poornima
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Varma
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Cheng
mesh_terms: D000007:Abdominal Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000293:Adolescent; D001642:Bicycling / Q000293:injuries*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008485:Medical Audit; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015599:Trauma Severity Indices; D014739:Victoria / Q000453:epidemiology