Quiñones-Hinojosa Alfredo, Jun Peter, Manley Geoffrey T, Knudson Margaret M, Gupta Nalin
Department of Neurological Surgery, San Francisco Injury Center, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.
J Trauma. 2005 Sep;59(3):729-33.
Airbag deployment is an acknowledged mechanism of serious trauma in children involved in motor vehicle crashes. From a review of national databases, we determined the number and types of fatal and nonfatal injuries to children caused by airbag deployment and child restraint system use. We also reviewed the relevant literature and provide information useful for caregivers and health care professionals in hopes of reducing future injuries.
We retrospectively reviewed 263 reported cases in which airbag deployment caused fatal or nonfatal injuries in children from reports released by the National Highway and Transportation Safety Administration and the National Pediatric Trauma Registry. Data were collected from January 1993 to December 2002 and imported into a database program for analysis.
Of the 263 pediatric injuries caused by airbag deployment, 159 were fatal, and 104 were nonfatal. The peak incidence occurred in 1998, when 58 children were reported injured. Head injuries were most frequent, involving 170 children (64.6%), followed by spinal injuries, involving 100 children (38.0%). For children in their first year of life, head injuries were the sole mechanism of fatality. Of all children studied, only six (2.3%) were properly restrained.
Airbag deployment in motor vehicle crashes is a well-recognized mechanism of morbidity and mortality in the pediatric population. Most injuries include trauma to the head and spine, which can have significant long-term consequences. Although the reported incidence of such injuries is decreasing, many children are improperly restrained. In our study, only 2.3% of children were properly restrained, suggesting that proper child restraint and seating position could have prevented most injuries.
安全气囊展开是涉及机动车碰撞事故的儿童发生严重创伤的一种公认机制。通过对国家数据库的回顾，我们确定了因安全气囊展开和儿童约束系统使用导致的儿童致命伤和非致命伤的数量及类型。我们还查阅了相关文献，并为护理人员和医疗保健专业人员提供有用信息，以期减少未来的伤害。
我们回顾性分析了美国国家公路交通安全管理局和国家儿科创伤登记处发布的报告中263例安全气囊展开导致儿童致命或非致命伤害的病例。数据收集时间为1993年1月至2002年12月，并导入数据库程序进行分析。
在263例因安全气囊展开导致的儿科损伤中，159例为致命伤，104例为非致命伤。发病率高峰出现在1998年，当年报告有58名儿童受伤。头部受伤最为常见，涉及170名儿童（64.6%），其次是脊柱损伤，涉及100名儿童（38.0%）。对于一岁以内的儿童，头部受伤是唯一的致死机制。在所有研究的儿童中，只有6名（2.3%）得到了正确的约束。
机动车碰撞事故中安全气囊展开是儿科人群发病和死亡的一种公认机制。大多数损伤包括头部和脊柱创伤，可能会产生重大的长期后果。尽管此类损伤的报告发病率在下降，但许多儿童的约束措施不当。在我们的研究中，只有2.3%的儿童得到了正确的约束，这表明正确的儿童约束和座位位置可以预防大多数损伤。
