Bike-related head injuries are reduced for children, but not for adults

Friday May 14, 2021 (HealthDay News) – There is good and bad news about rates Head injuries Among the cycling crowd in America: These injury rates have fallen sharply among children but barely budge among the growing numbers of adult cyclists.

Between 2009 and 2018, increased helmet use and the creation of dedicated city bike lanes and other safety interventions significantly reduced bike-related trauma. brain A new report has found that injuries (TBIs) are especially common among children between the ages of 10 and 14.

Overall, the emergency department rate for bicycle-related brain injury disease has decreased by nearly half [48.7%] Among children and 5.5% among adults, “said a team led by Kelly Sarmiento, who works with the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, part of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Overall, the number of bicycle-related head injuries in children has decreased over the past decade nine Times better than those seen among adult cyclists.

Sarmiento and her colleagues note that more adults are abandoning cars and jumping on bicycles – with sometimes tragic consequences.

She continued

“Bicycle-related deaths among adults have increased in recent years,” they write. “In 2018, 857 adult cyclists died in traffic-related accidents in the United States, the highest number in two decades.”

The new report tracks US data on nearly 600,000 emergency department visits for bicycle-related brain injury between 2009 and 2018.

Sarmiento’s team confirmed that “most of the patients had brain injury disease [83%] They were treated and released from the emergency department. ”

However, “although many of these people recovered well, some have experienced persistent symptoms that have emotional, cognitive, behavioral and academic consequences,” the researchers added.

Sex seems to matter, too.

“During the study period, the rate of emergency department visits for bicycle-related brain injuries among males of all ages was three times higher than the rate for females,” CDC researchers wrote. The study found that boys and men were more likely to die from a bike accident compared to girls and women.

Researchers believe that more cycling safety education is needed, specifically targeting males.

She continued

Two emergency doctors not associated with the new report agreed that more must be done.

“While the study indicates that there is a sharp decrease in bicycle-related traumatic brain injury in children compared to adults, we must not be inactive and discontinue our efforts to address this important public health problem,” said Dr. Robert Glater, who plays sports. At Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.

“The truth is that cycling leads to the largest number of emergency visits for a traumatic brain injury in the United States,” he said.

The threat to adults is especially dangerous.

“With an increasing number of adults commuting to work in both urban and rural areas combined with escalating congestion in bike lanes, the likelihood of developing not only brain injury but multi-system trauma is the reality,” Glatter said. There is a possibility of serious injuries to the chest and abdomen, including the long bones, pelvis, and ribs Fractures,” he added.

Dr. Theresa Murray-Amato directs emergency medicine at Long Island Geoist Forest Hills Hospital, also in New York City.

She continued

She said the welcome reduction in childhood traumatic brain injury may be “the result of a collective educational effort by pediatricians to make sure parents understand the need to use a helmet while cycling children.”

“While cycling can provide an enjoyable and effective way to exercise, there are some safety issues that must be tracked,” said Amato.

There is also a new danger to consider, Glater said.

“The explosion of e-bikes in the past several years continues to lead to an increase in the severity of injuries, mainly due to the increase in speed,” he said. “E-bikes are usually heavier than regular bikes, which can cause more serious injuries due to their weight alone during falls and collisions.”

The new study was published May 13 in the journal CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

more information

Find out more about bike safety at National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Sources: Teresa Murray-Amato, MD, Emergency Medicine, Long Island Geoist Forest Hills, New York City; Robert Glater, Emergency Physician, Lenox Hill Hospital, New York City; Morbidity and mortality weekly report, May 13, 2021