Abstract
It is a policy objective to increase the percentage of journeys made by bicycle in Norway from the current 5% to 10%. Kristiansand is one of the most active cities in Norway in terms of cycling. We wished to identify the extent of injuries among cyclists admitted to the hospital. We reviewed the medical records of patients with cycling-related injuries who were admitted to Sørlandet Hospital, Kristiansand in the period 1January 2012 to 31 December 2015. Patient, accident, injury and treatment characteristics were recorded, as well as any sequelae after 12months. Altogether 224 adults and 53 children (<16 years) were registered with cycling-related injuries, most of which (n=192, 69%) were mild/moderate. Very severe and critical injuries were recorded in 6 (11%) children and 22 (10%) adults. Fractures (n=179, 65%) and minor head injuries (n= 78, 28%) dominated the injury panorama. Surgical treatment was undertaken in 107 (48%) adults and 19 (36%) children. A total of 12 (4%) patients were transferred to the trauma centre at Oslo University Hospital Ullevål. Four adults had significant sequelae after 12months, all related to severe head/neck injury. A considerable proportion of serious and complex injuries require that the national guidelines for use of a trauma team be followed. Systematic and ongoing registration of cyclists' injuries in the form of a national registry could help increase our insight into the circumstances surrounding accidents and the extent of injuries related to these.
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