All-terrain vehicle trauma in the elderly: an analysis of a national database

The elderly are a growing proportion of all-terrain (ATV) drivers. The purpose of this study was to determine if the outcomes of geriatric ATV trauma victims are different from those of their younger counterparts and if age is an independent predictor of mortality. ATV trauma cases in the United States reported to the National Trauma Data Bank between 1989 and 2003 comprised the study population. A logistic regression model was constructed with mortality as the outcome and age as the primary covariate of interest. A total of 6308 ATV-related traumas were reported to the National Trauma Data Bank during the study period. Geriatric victims presented with significantly higher systolic blood pressure (138.6 +/- 34.4 vs 131.4 +/- 24.8, P < 0.001) and had a significantly longer length of stay (8.3 +/- 11.4 vs 4.8 +/- 8.8, P < 0.001) and greater number of intensive care unit days (3.1 +/- 7.1 vs 1.3 +/- 4.0, P < 0.001). In a multivariate model, age older than 60 years was associated with increased risk of mortality (OR, 6.96; 95% CI, 3.75-12.92). Age older than 60 years is an independent predictor of mortality among ATV trauma cases. Improved training on the use of ATVs in this population and better safety features are warranted.