title: Diagnosis and management of motor vehicle trauma in children: an evidence-based review.
abstract: Injuries from motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of mortality in children aged 5 years and older in the United States. This review discusses common injuries in children after motor vehicle trauma and examines the evidence regarding the evaluation and treatment of pediatric patients involved in motor vehicle crashes. Both prehospital and emergency department care are discussed along with a differential diagnosis of the injuries most commonly seen in motor vehicle crashes. The various options for imaging modalities are also discussed in this review. A critical appraisal of the existing guidelines for the management of motor vehicle trauma and for the use of appropriate child-safety restraints is presented. Emergency clinicians will be able to use the patient's history and physical examination findings along with knowledge of common injuries to determine the most appropriate workup and treatment of pediatric patients who present with motor vehicle trauma.
authors.affiliation: Division of Emergency Medicine and Transport, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Saranya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Srinivasan
authors.forename: Todd
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chang
mesh_terms: D000056:Accident Prevention; D000063:Accidents, Traffic; D000293:Adolescent; D017677:Age Distribution; D002648:Child; D002669:Child Welfare / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D004635:Emergency Medicine / Q000458:organization & administration; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D005260:Female; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*