Abstract
:Background:Bicycle riding is a widely practiced mode of transportation, commuting, competition, fitness and recreation. We aimed to describe the incidence, risk factors and outcomes of Bicycle-Related Traumatic Injury (BRTI) in a Middle Eastern country.Methods:Data were extracted from a prospectively collected trauma registry over a period of six years (2010- 2015) from the national trauma center. Demographics and clinical characteristics of patients, and outcomes were analyzed. Results:There were 150 patients with a mean age of 27.2±16.6 years, 98% were males, 86.6% were hit by a car and 8.7% died. The average annual incidence of BRTIs was 1.3 per 100,000 populations. The mean Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) and injury severity score (ISS) were12.7±4.0 and 13.6±9.8; respectively. Almost one-third of cases had an ISS of 9-15. The most commonly injured region was the head (47%) followed by a lower extremity (30%), chest (25%), upper extremity (21.3%), spine (20.7%), abdomen (18.7%) and (7%) pelvis.Conclusions:BRTI is relatively uncommon in Qatar; however, it is characterized by a distinct epidemiology with a considerable mortality. Young male nationals, recreational cyclists and expatriate young commuter cyclists comprise the majority of victims and should be the focus of primary prevention efforts. Complementary prevention should aim at enforcing helmet laws to reduce fatal head injuries, and educating motorists of safer practices around cyclists.
Highlights
Trauma is one of the leading causes of deaths worldwide especially among individuals under the age of forty and this age group remains as a top priority for prevention efforts.[1]Traffic-related injuries are the most common mechanism of injury in Qatar and worldwide; these include motor vehicle crashes (MVCS), motorcycle crashes (MCC), pedestrian and bicycle-related traumatic injuries (BRTI).[2]
We aimed to study the bicycle-related traumatic injuries that warranted admission to the level 1Hamad Trauma Center; the national trauma center of the state of Qatar, to define the incidence, risk factors, timing, type and patterns of injuries and outcomes of Bicycle-Related Traumatic Injury (BRTI) in Qatar, in order to inform future focused injury prevention efforts
Variables collected and analyzed included: demographic data, mechanism of injury details (Cyclist hit by car, Fall from bicycle), timing of the injury, injury severity score (ISS), diagnosis, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), ICU admission, ventilator days, hospital length of stay (LOS), disposition, use of helmets, and mortality, National population data from the Ministry of Development Planning and Statistics was used to compute for population-based BRTI incidence rates [per 100,000 population]. 8
Summary
Traffic-related injuries are the most common mechanism of injury in Qatar and worldwide; these include motor vehicle crashes (MVCS), motorcycle crashes (MCC), pedestrian and bicycle-related traumatic injuries (BRTI).[2] The latter is a very important cause of injury in many places in Europe, US, Southeast Asia and worldwide as cycling is a very popular means of recreation and transportation.[3]. The likelihood to sustain multiple serious injuries in a bicycle crash is high considering the relatively exposed body regions of the cyclist. Bicycle riding is a widely practiced mode of transportation, commuting, competition, fitness and recreation. We aimed to describe the incidence, risk factors and outcomes of Bicycle-Related Traumatic Injury (BRTI) in a Middle Eastern country. Complementary prevention should aim at enforcing helmet laws to reduce fatal head injuries, and educating motorists of safer practices around cyclists
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