Similarities Between Large Animal-Related and Motor Vehicle Crash-Related Injuries.

Title

Similarities Between Large Animal-Related and Motor Vehicle Crash-Related Injuries.

Creator

Tremelling Abigail M; Marley Robert A; Marley Mackenzie B; Woofter Christina M; Docherty Courtney; Salvator Ann E; Muakkassa Farid F

Publisher

Wilderness & environmental medicine

Date

2017
2017-09

Description

OBJECTIVE: Many Americans sustain large animal-related injuries (LARIs) from blunt trauma. We compare the injuries and management of LARI in our region of the United States with those of motor vehicle crashes (MVCs). METHODS: A 15-year retrospective study of trauma patients with LARI matched to MVC controls by Injury Severity Score (ISS), age, and sex was conducted. Values were statistically compared, and differences were considered statistically significant at P \textless .05. RESULTS: There were 156 LARI cases, of which 87% were related to horses, 8% to bulls, and the remainder to deer, mules, bison, cows, and rams. In the LARI group, the age was 42+/-18 years (mean+/-SD), ISS was 7+/-4, and 61% were females. The MVC group had a significantly longer length of hospital stay (5+/-5 vs 4+/-3 days) and blood alcohol concentration (35+/-84 vs 3+/-20 g/L). There were no significant differences in injury patterns between LARI and MVC; however, additional radiological studies (RS) were performed on MVC (9+/-6 vs 7+/-5). LARI patients were more often transferred from rural locations (39% vs 25%) and traveled further to our trauma center (40+/-32 vs 24+/-29 km) than did MVC patients. CONCLUSIONS: LARI has a similar pattern of injury to MVC, but fewer RS. LARI typically occurred further away, requiring transfer from rural areas to our institution. We recommend a similar approach for the evaluation of LARI and MVC.

Subject

*Equidae; *Injury Severity Score; *Ruminants; Accidents; Adult; animal; Animals; Blood Alcohol Content; Female; Hospitalization/statistics & numerical data; Humans; injury; Male; Middle Aged; Retrospective Studies; rural; Traffic/*statistics & numerical data; trauma; United States; vehicle; Wounds and Injuries/classification/*epidemiology/etiology

Rights

Article information provided for research and reference use only. All rights are retained by the journal listed under publisher and/or the creator(s).

Pages

213–218

Issue

3

Volume

28

Citation

Tremelling Abigail M; Marley Robert A; Marley Mackenzie B; Woofter Christina M; Docherty Courtney; Salvator Ann E; Muakkassa Farid F, “Similarities Between Large Animal-Related and Motor Vehicle Crash-Related Injuries.,” NEOMED Bibliography Database, accessed March 19, 2024, https://neomed.omeka.net/items/show/3815.