Citation

Carey J, McCarthy MC, Ekeh AP, Patterson L, Woods R. J. Trauma 2005; 59(3): 734-736.

Affiliation

Department of Surgery, Wright State University School of Medicine, and Miami Valley Hospital Trauma Service, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2005, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

16361921

Abstract

BACKGROUND:: A local increasing prevalence of injuries due to the unusual mechanism of "car-surfing," during which youths ride on the hood or roof of a vehicle, led us to review our experience with these injuries with the goal of designing an effective prevention program. METHODS:: Patient information from the trauma registry at our Level I trauma center was abstracted and analyzed to determine the characteristics of injuries due to this unusual mechanism. RESULTS:: Thirty-five patients were identified over a 15-year period. The average age was 19.5 +/- 5.2 years (mean +/- S.D.); 69% were young men. The number of injuries is increasing, with nine injuries identified during the first 5 years, 10 during the next 5 years, and 16 patients during the most recent 5-year period. Fifty-seven percent of the injuries occurred in a rural area and 43% in an urban area. Blood alcohol levels were tested in 29 patients-18 were negative and 11 were positive. Alcohol was more likely to be a factor in older patients with 77.8% (7/9) of those >/= 21 years old having a positive blood alcohol but only 20% (4/20)