Texas EMS Magazine, Volume 18, Number 1, January/February 1997 Page: 54
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In 1992 and 1993,
the U.S. Product
Safety Commission
received 66,465
reports of injuries
associated with in-
line skates, with
40,730 occurring in
children under the
age of 20. During
the same reporting
period, there were
147,928 roller
skating injuries in
children younger
than 20.
Deaths caused by
drunken driving
rose last year for
the first time in over
a decade, according
to the National
Safety Council.
About 41 percent of
all traffic deaths
nationwide are
alcohol-related.C hildren wearing seatbelts during
a wreck may suffer potentially se-
rious injuries that can go undetected
because the signs of the injuries can be
subtle. This does not suggest that chil-
dren should not wear seat belts. Rath-
er, emergency medical personnel
should be on the lookout for bruises
and abrasions across the lower chest or
abdomen that may indicate "seat belt
syndrome," according to researchers
in Geisinger Medical Center in Penn-
sylvania. The syndrome comprises in-
ternal injuries that may involve the
small bowel, intestine and lower spine.
Delayed diagnosis can lead to poten-
tially serious complications. Children
are at an increased risk in a wreck be-
cause they have less abdominal mus-
cle and fat to protect internal organs.
Researchers identified ten cases in
which children had injuries attributed
to seat belt syndrome: seven had worn
lap restraints, while the other two had
a three-point restraint system. Six of
the seven children with lap belt mark-
ings had intestinal injuries that re-
quired surgery.
From TDH's News Clips, The Dal-
las Morning News, "Seat belt injuries
can be hard to detect in children," by
Charles Bankhead, October 22, 1996.
nd even kids who are properly
belted in with a three-point re-
straint are at risk if an air bag inflates
during a crash. A five-year-old Ten-
nessee girl was in the front passenger
seat wearing her lap and shoulder belt
correctly when she was killed in Sep-
tember in a low-speed crash. Al-
though the head of the National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration
has repeatedly said that children up to
12 should ride in the back seats, appar-ently the public is not getting the mes-
sage. At least 28 children and 19
adults drivers have been killed by air
bags. But in previous accidents, the
agency said the children appeared to
be unbelted or improperly belted, or
the evidence was inconclusive. Last
summer the safety administration
proposed warning labels saying that
unbelted children and infants in rear-
facing car seats may be killed by an air
bag.
A parents' coalition group is push-
ing for air bag labels that include a
warning that children should never
ride in the front seat.
From TDH's News Clips, San An-
tonio Express News, "Parents told to
bar kids from front seat," Associated
Press, October 24, 1996.
How do in-line skating injuries
compare to roller skating inju-
ries? In 1992 and 1993, the U.S. Prod-
uct Safety Commission received
66,465 reports of injuries associated
with in-line skates, with 40,730 occur-
ring in children under the age of 20.
The incidence of injury was highest in
children 11 and 12 years old; 68 per-
cent were boys. Fractures made up 45
percent of the injuries; two-thirds of
those were fractures that involved the
distal forearm. Five percent had head
injuries and two and a half percent
were admitted to the hospital. During
the same reporting period, there were
147,928 roller skating injuries in chil-
dren younger than 20; the mean age
was 10 years. Thirty-two percent were
boys. Fractures were the most common
injuries, and 72 percent involved the
distal forearm. Five percent had head
injuries. One and a half percent of the
injured were admitted to the hospital.Texas EMS Magazine January/February 1997
54
Did you read... By Kelly Harrell
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Texas. Department of State Health Services. Texas EMS Magazine, Volume 18, Number 1, January/February 1997, periodical, January 1997; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1507926/m1/54/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.