Citation

Choi Y, Park JH, Ro YS, Jeong J, Kim YJ, Song KJ, Shin SD. Heliyon 2024; 10(3): e25336.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2024, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e25336

PMID

38356526

PMCID

PMC10864909

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Motor vehicle collisions (MVCs) are known to cause traumatic cardiac arrest; it is unclear whether seat belts prevent this. This study aimed to evaluate the association between seat belt use and immediate cardiac arrest in cases of MVCs.

METHOD: This cross-sectional observational study used data from a nationwide EMS-based severe trauma registry in South Korea. The sample comprised adult patients with EMS-assessed severe trauma due to MVCs between 2018 and 2019. The primary, secondary, and tertiary outcomes were immediate cardiac arrest, in-hospital mortality, and death or severe disability, respectively. We calculated the adjusted odds ratios (AORs) of immediate cardiac arrest with seat belt use after adjusting for potential confounders.

RESULTS: Among the 8178 eligible patients, 6314 (77.2 %) and 1864 (29.5 %) were wearing and not wearing seat belts, respectively. Immediate cardiac arrest, mortality, and death/severe disability rates were higher in the "no seat belt use" group than in the "seat belt use" group (9.4 % vs. 4.0 %, 12.4 % vs. 6.2 %, 17.7 % vs. 9.9 %, respectively; p < 0.001). The former group was more likely to experience immediate cardiac arrest (AOR [95 %CI]: 3.29 [2.65-4.08]), in-hospital mortality (AOR [95 %CI]: 2.72 [2.26-3.27]), and death or severe disability (AOR [95 %CI]: 2.40 [2.05-2.80]).

CONCLUSION: There was an association between wearing seat belts during MVCs and a reduced risk of immediate cardiac arrest.

Language: en

Keywords

Cardiac arrest; Motor vehicles; Seat belts; Traffic collisions