OBJECTIVES: All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) are increasing in popularity and becoming larger and faster at a production level. As a Level I Trauma Center, we perceived a disproportionately high volume of ATV-related admissions. Our goal was to study injury patterns and severity in adult and pediatric populations.
METHODS: All ATV-related trauma admissions at a single Level I trauma center were retrospectively analyzed over a seven-year period.
RESULTS: On-road incidents were more likely to result in a higher average Injury Severity Score (ISS) (p < 0.05). Higher ISS also occurred in children, un-helmeted, and impaired rider groups (p < 0.05). The pediatric population was more likely to have a major head injury (62.5% of children versus 31.8% of adults, p < 0.05) while thoracic injury was more common in adults (43.4% of adults versus 16.7% of children, p < 0.05). Death rates were similar in both adult and pediatric populations.
CONCLUSION: ATV-related injuries vary depending on incident characteristics and patient populations. On-road use incurs a significant increase in injury severity. The pediatric population is significantly more likely to incur a severe injury and the presenting injury pattern differs from the adult population. Knowledge of population and presentation trends can help direct trauma care providers in the care and management of injured ATV riders.