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A Prospective Observational Analysis of Ambulation After Motor Vehicle Collisions

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 October 2012

Mark A. Merlin ,
Colleen Ciccosanti ,
Matthew D. Saybolt ,
Olivia Bockoff ,
Michael Mazzei  and
Adam Shiroff
Mark A. Merlin*
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, Newark, New Jersey USA
Colleen Ciccosanti
Affiliation:
School of Public Health, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ USA
Matthew D. Saybolt
Affiliation:
Department of Internal Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA
Olivia Bockoff
Affiliation:
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, New Brunswick, New Jersey USA
Michael Mazzei
Affiliation:
Department of Medical Education, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey USA
Adam Shiroff
Affiliation:
Trauma Surgery, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey USA
*
Correspondence: Mark A. Merlin, DO, EMT-P, FACEP Newark Beth Israel Medical Center 201 Lyons Avenue Newark, New Jersey 07112 USA E-mail markamerlin@gmail.com
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Abstract

Objectives

Predicting injury patterns of patients based only on mechanism of injury is difficult and is well described in the literature. Characteristics of patients on-scene immediately following injury(ies) may lead to predicting injury patterns. Although reported frequently, the significance of victim ambulation after a motor vehicle crash is poorly understood. It was hypothesized that ambulation at the scene is not predictive of injury severity following a motor vehicle crash (MVC).

Methods

A prospective, cohort study of 117 consecutive injured patients who were ambulatory after MVCs were enrolled. Paramedics in a large urban Emergency Medical Services (EMS) system were mandated to document “ambulatory” or “nonambulatory” for motor vehicle collisions in order to complete their prehospital electronic medical records. This assured accuracy and completeness in the data collection. All charts were abstracted for trauma-induced injury and imaging results.

Results

A total of 608 (10.9%) persons were ambulatory at the scene, of which 284 had an injury pattern documented in the prehospital or emergency department record. The average age was 35.9 (SD = 16.8) years, and 158 (55.6%) were male. A total of 707 injuries were identified in the 284 patients who had sustained injuries.

Conclusions

Ambulation after motor vehicle collisions appears to be only infrequently associated with major injuries, although this population still may present with significant injuries. A larger, prospective study is warranted.

MerlinMA, CiccosantiC, SayboltMD, BockoffO, MazzeiM, ShiroffA. A Prospective Observational Analysis of Ambulation After Motor Vehicle Collisions. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2013;28(1):1-3.

Keywords

ambulatory victimsEmergency Medical Servicesinjuriesmotor vehicle crashestrauma
Type
Brief Report
Information
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine , Volume 28 , Issue 1 , February 2013 , pp. 76 - 78
Copyright
Copyright © World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine 2012

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References

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