Quad bike related trauma in Ireland

Abstract

IntroductionA quad bike or an all-terrain vehicle is a four-wheeled powered vehicle generally designed for off-road use. They are widely used for farm-related work and more recently for recreational purposes. The potential for serious injury and death with quad bike use is a growing public health concern. There is an inherent instability in their design and they are typically used on rugged terrain characterised by dangerous driving surfaces. This study examines quad bike related trauma in Ireland using a national trauma registry to identify patient demographics, injury mechanism and type, treatments received and outcomes. MethodsAll quad bike related trauma cases recorded on the Major Trauma Audit (MTA), National Office of Clinical Audit in Ireland for the period 2014–2019 were gathered and analysed. ResultsThere were 69 cases identified and 63 (91 %) of these were male. The median (IQR) age was 27 (19 - 49.1). There were 25 % (n = 17) aged 0–18 years, 64 % (n = 44) aged 19–65 and 12 % (n = 8) aged greater than 65 years. The median injury severity score (ISS) was 10 (IQR 9–22). The most severely injured body region was the head (n = 21, 30 %). No helmet use was recorded in 50 % (n = 34) of cases.October recorded the highest number of cases (n = 9, 13 %), and Sunday was the most common day (n = 17, 25 %). The median length of hospital stay was five days (IQR 3–9). One patient died after arrival to hospital. ConclusionQuad bike related trauma predominantly affects a young male cohort with serious injury characteristics. A sizeable proportion of patients are under 18 years of age. This data can better inform national policies and public awareness campaigns targeting this trauma subset. The head was the most common severely injured body region, highlighting the potential need for legislative intervention regarding mandatory helmet use. A large cohort of patients required transfer for definitive care which has implications for trauma care pathways and advocates for the development of an integrated trauma system in Ireland.