injury
Kids with ADHD are Injury-Prone
Youngsters with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are more prone
to injury, compared with children without attention challenges, according to
research presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies' meeting in Baltimore,
MD.
Investigators sifted through the medial records of 61,170 youths, ages 3 to
17 years. A total of 7,550 of these children were diagnosed with ADHD. Findings
showed that during an 8-year period 0.92% of youngsters without ADHD suffered
from an injury requiring hospital care. In contrast, 1.63% of children with
ADHD withstood a serious injury. After controlling for age and gender, the
researchers concluded that youngsters with ADHD are 77% more likely to suffer
a significant trauma.
"Targeted and specific injury prevention strategies for this population might
lessen the potential for new injury,"
suggest the study's authors.
Coury DL, Haley K, Hayes JR, Yeates KO, Groner JI. ADHD and Injury
Risk. Pediatric Academic Societies - May 1, 2001.
Insufficient Car Seat Knowlege Leads to Injury
Many parents lack knowledge of appropriate child car safety procedures. Only
46% knew that a child weighing 40 to 60 lb should travel in a booster seat,
and 59% knew that the State law required child safety seat use for children
up to 4 years and weighing up to 40 lb.
Vaca F, Anderson CL, Agran P, Winn D, Cheng G Child
safety seat knowledge among parents utilizing emergency services in a level
I trauma center in Southern California Pediatrics 2002
(Nov); 110 (5): e61
Falls: Leading Cause of Childhood Injury
The American Academy of Pediatrics' Committee on Injury and Poison Prevention
has issued a research-based policy statement highlighting falls as the number
one cause of childhood injuries. Because all of these injuries are preventable,
the report urges health-care providers to work with parents and community leaders
to implement preventive strategies, many of which are outlined in the review.
American Academy of Pediatrics: Committee on Injury and Poison Prevention. Falls
From Heights: Windows, Roofs, and Balconies Pediatrics
2001; 107 (5): 1188-1191
Watch out for Mild Head Trauma
Mild head traumas, like those suffered in motor vehicle collisions and sports
injuries, are often more serious than many doctors realize, say researchers.
Investigators examined positron emission tomography (PET) scans of 42 subjects
who had withstood mild head trauma during the past month. In total, 84% of
participants showed reduced brain glucose uptake, an indicator of brain damage.
In addition, 61% of patients had Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores in the comatose
range.
Bergsneider M, Hovda DA, Lee SM, Kelley Dl, et. al. Dissociation
of cerebral glucose metabolism and level of consciousness during the period
of metabolic depression following human traumatic brain injury J
Neurotrauma 2000 (May); 17 (5): 389-401
Biomechanical Training Wards off Knee Injury
Female high school athletes are 5 times more likely than males to suffer a
debilitating knee injury - and female college athletes have 4-fold the risk
of knee injury than males. The majority of these injuries occur during jumping
and involve the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), the medial collateral ligament
(MCL), or both ligaments. Fortunately, knee trauma may be prevented, said researchers
at the 24th Annual Meeting of the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine
in Vancouver, British Columbia.
A total of 1,263 athletes took part in the study. Of these, 366 participated
in a pre-season strength training program aimed at improving jumping biomechanics.
Specifically, the program taught subjects to jump straight up and down while
maintaining proper spinal alignment, and to land on bent knees.
Female athletes who took part in the program were 42.8% less likely to sustain
a knee injury, compared with male controls and female athletes who did not
participate in the training.
Hewett TE, Riccobene JV, Lindenfeld TN, Noyes FR Jump training
program may stem rising tide of knee injuries among female athletes. American
Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine, 24th Annual Meeting - June 30, 1999.
Rear-End MVA's Have Long Term Effect on Well Being
People who are involved in rear-end motor vehicle accidents (MVA's) have an
elevated risk of several ailments, compared with individuals who have not been
involved in rear-end MVA's. Researchers in Sweden pooled data on 436
drivers who were in rear-end MVA's during 1987 or 1988. Of these subjects,
232 suffered a whiplash injury and 204 were not injured. A control group was
also established, comprised of 3,688 individuals who had not been in an MVA.
All subjects were aged 18 to 65 years.
After seven years, subjects completed a health questionnaire. Findings showed
that people who had been in MVA's were up to 3.7 times more likely to suffer
from back pain, headache, fatigue, sleep disturbances and ill health, compared
with those who were not in MVA's. Curiously, no difference in risk was found
among MVA subjects who had suffered a whiplash injury and those who had not. "We
conclude that rear-end collisions resulting in reported whiplash injuries seem
to have a substantial impact on health complaints, even a long time after the
collision," conclude the study's authors.
Berglund A, Alfredsson L, Jensen I, Cassidy JD, Nygren A The
association between exposure to a rear-end collision and future health complaints J
Clin Epidemiol 2001 (Aug); 54 (8): 851-856
Rear-End MVA's Have Long Term Impact on Neck and Shoulder Pain
Neck pain is the most frequently reported feature in connection with whiplash
injury, but it is also a common complaint in the general population. To determine
whether exposure to a rear-end collision, without or with whiplash injury,
is associated with future neck or shoulder pain, a cohort study was conducted.
Claim reports were collected from the period November 1987 to April 1988. Drivers
exposed to a rear-end collision were divided into two subgroups, without reported
whiplash injury (n = 204) and with reported whiplash injury (n = 232).
A questionnaire concerning neck or shoulder pain and other subjective health
complaints was mailed to all the study subjects at follow-up in 1994, 7 years
after the rear-end collision. In drivers with reported whiplash injury, the
risk of neck or shoulder pain 7 years after the collision was increased nearly
three-fold compared with that in unexposed subjects.
Berglund A, Alfredsson L, Cassidy JD, Jensen I, Nygren A The
association between exposure to a rear-end collision and future neck or shoulder
pain: a cohort study J Clin Epidemiol 2000 (Nov); 53
(11): 1089-109