Diagnosis of long-term sequelae after low-voltage electrical injury

The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of diagnostic tests and specialty consultations in aiding the diagnosis of long-term symptoms after low-voltage electrical injury (EI). A retrospective hospital chart review of low-voltage electrical-injured patients admitted to the outpatient burn clinic of a rehabilitation hospital was conducted (January 2002 to March 2006). Results of tests and specialty consultations were compared between patients with low-voltage contact injuries and patients with low-voltage flash injuries using Student's t-test and χ(2) with a P < .05 considered significant. Forty patients were treated for low-voltage EI, and all injuries occurred at work. Three patients were excluded due to lack of exact voltage documentation. Of the remaining 37 patients, there were 31 males (83.8%) and 6 females (16.2%) with a mean age of 36.7 ± 11.0 years and a mean TBSA of 7.7 ± 7.3%. Of 83 specialty consultations, the most frequents were psychology (38.6%), physiatry (21.7%), neurology (15.7%), and orthopedic (8.4%). Eighty percent of consultations were negative (no pathology). Patients with electrical contact injury had more specialty consultations (68.7 vs 31.3%, P = .003), especially neurology (21.1 vs 3.8%, P = .027), and more tests than patients with electrical flash injury (86.5 vs 13.5%, P < .001). Four (6.3%) CT scans and 14 (21.9%) magnetic resonance imaging scans were performed in electrical contact injury patients, but the majority of their results were negative (75 and 71.4%, respectively). Ultrasound, bone scan, and x-rays were negative: 80, 100, and 100%, respectively. Low-voltage electrical-injured patients are frequently referred for specialty consultations and tests, which are usually not effective to correlate their long-term symptoms with the initial EI.     

Electrical injuries: a 20-year review

Electrical injuries continue to present problems with devastating complications and long-term socioeconomic impact. The purpose of this study is to review one institution's experience with electrical injuries. From 1982 to 2002, there were 700 electric injury admissions. A computerized burn registry was used for data collection and analysis. Of these injuries, 263 were high voltage (> or =1000 V), 143 were low voltage (<1000 V), 277 were electric arc flash burns, and 17 were lightning injuries. Mortality was highest in the lightning strikes (17.6%) compared with the high voltage (5.3%) and low voltage (2.8%) injuries, and mortality was least in electric arc injuries without passage of current through the patient (1.1%). Complications were most common in the high-voltage group. Mean length of stay was longest in this group (18.9 +/- 1.4 days), and the patients in this group also required the most operations (3 +/- 0.2). Work-related activity was responsible for the majority of these high-voltage injuries, with the most common occupations being linemen and electricians. These patients tended to be younger men in the prime of their working lives. Electrical injuries continue to make up an important subgroup of patients admitted to burn centers. High-voltage injuries in particular have far reaching social and economic impact largely because of the patient population at greatest risk, that is, younger men at the height of their earning potential. Injury prevention, although appropriate, remains difficult in this group because of occupation-related risk.     

Clinical predictors of myocardial damage after high voltage electrical injury

Myocardial damage after high voltage electrical body injury is a serious and often life-threatening situation. The purpose of this pilot study was to identify early clinical predictors of myocardial damage in patients with high voltage electrical injury. Twenty-four patients with high voltage electrical injuries and no evidence of arc burns were evaluated. In 13/24 patients the diagnosis of myocardial damage was confirmed by total creatine kinase (CK) and creatine kinase MB (CK-MB) isoenzyme elevation (group A). In these patients the total CK range was 1373 to 52,544 mU/ml. In 11/24 patients CK-MB was negative (group B) indicating absence of myocardial damage. ECG changes occurred in 10/13 group A and 4/11 group B patients (p less than .095). No patient in either group gave a history suggestive of myocardial ischemia after the electrical injury. The pathways of electricity through the body, as mapped by a line drawn between the wound(s) of entrance and exit, were vertical in all group A patients, i.e., from upper to lower body segment, vs. 5/11 group B patients with evidence of a vertical pathway (p less than .003). Group A patients also had greater body surface burns (16.0 +/- 2.7%) vs. group B patients (4.0 +/- 1.6%, p less than .001). The presence of a vertical pathway and the magnitude of percent surface burns were found to be the most significant clinical predictors of myocardial damage in multiple logistic regression analysis (p less than .0001).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Symptom prevalence, characteristics, and distress in AIDS outpatients.

Symptom distress is an important but poorly characterized aspect of quality of life in AIDS patients. To assess and characterize the symptoms and symptom distress associated with AIDS, 504 ambulatory patients with AIDS were evaluated between December, 1992 and December, 1995. The assessment included measures of symptom distress, physical and psychosocial functioning, and demographic and disease-related factors. Patients described symptoms during the previous week using the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale Short Form (MSAS-SF), a validated measure of physical and psychological symptom distress. The mean age was 38.6 years (range 18-69); 56% were male. African-Americans comprised 40% of the sample, Caucasians 35%, and Hispanics 23%. Ninety-three percent had CD4+ T-cell counts below 500, and 66% had counts below 200; 69% were classified in CDC category C (history of AIDS-defining conditions). Fifty-two percent reported intravenous drug use. Karnofsky performance status was > or = 70 in 80% of the patients. No patients were taking protease inhibitors. The mean (+/- SD) number of symptoms was 16.7 +/- 7.3. The most prevalent symptoms were worrying (86%), fatigue (85%), sadness (82%), and pain (76%). Patients with Karnofsky performance scores < 70 had more symptoms and higher symptom distress scores than patients with scores > or = 70 (21.2 +/- 6.5 vs. 15.6 +/- 7.1 symptoms/patient; 2.3 +/- 0.8 vs. 1.6 +/- 0.8 on the Global Distress Index [GDI] of the MSAS-SF; P < 0.0001 for both). Patients who reported intravenous drug use as an HIV transmission factor reported more symptoms and higher overall and physical symptom distress than those who reported homosexual or heterosexual contact as their transmission factor (17.8 +/- 7.5 vs. 15.4 +/- 6.9 symptoms/patient, P = 0.0002; 1.9 +/- 0.9 vs. 1.6 +/- 0.8 on the MSAS-GDI, P = 0.002). Both the number of symptoms and symptom distress were highly associated with psychological distress and poorer quality of life; for example, r = -0.69 (P < 0.0001) between GDI scores and scores on a validated measure of quality of life. Neither gender nor CD4+ T-cell count was associated with symptom number or distress. Responses from this self-referred sample of AIDS outpatients indicate that AIDS patients experience many distressing physical and psychological symptoms and a high level of distress. Both the number of symptoms and the distress associated with them are associated with a variety of disease-related factors and disturbances in other aspects of quality of life. Symptom assessment provides information that may be valuable in evaluating AIDS treatment regimens and defining strategies to improve quality of life.     

Occupational rehabilitation of neurological patients - long-term outcome data

Occupational rehabilitation in Germany is done in specialized centres (so-called "Phase II" centres). In the present study, long-term outcome data of 237 neurological rehabilitation patients (mean age 38.3 years) were analyzed. Most of the patients had suffered brain injuries. The examination took place some 7 years after the end of occupational rehabilitation and approximately 10 years after the injury. About 60% of patients returned to work (35% worked, 9.3% were seeking a job, 13.5% underwent training). Positive predictors for return to work were lower age and high educational level. The results from this study suggest that occupational rehabilitation is effective. Controlled and multi-centre studies should be carried out.     

Working with a brain injury: personal experiences of returning to work following a mild or moderate brain injury.

OBJECTIVE: Most brain injuries occur in people of working age. Individuals with mild or moderate injuries may have unrecognized problems affecting return to work. Previous studies have focused on factors that predict return to work after brain injury. There is limited information about the experiences of individuals returning to work. DESIGN: Individual interviews explored the work-related expectations and experiences of workers who had sustained mild to moderate brain injury. A sampling frame ensured a spread of participants by age, injury severity and work type. METHODS: Thirty-three interviews were conducted 4-6 months post-injury. Most participants had returned to work. Interviews were transcribed verbatim for thematic analysis. RESULTS: Key emerging issues for participants were the invisibility of their injury, continuing symptoms affecting their ability to do their job and lack of advice and guidance on returning to work. Return to work support systems were considered to be poorly coordinated and managed. CONCLUSION: It is important that healthcare professionals anticipate the vocational rehabilitation needs of patients who have sustained mild to moderate brain injury. These patients may require additional coordinated interventions and specific person-centred information to ensure a successful and, most importantly, a sustained return to work.     

Adult campfire burns: two avenues for prevention

Campfires are a common component of outdoor festivities. Pediatric campfire burns have been well described. Adult campfire injuries also are common and have several important distinguishing characteristics. We performed a retrospective review of adult patients admitted with campfire burns to our burn center from July 1998 to July 2003. Medical records were reviewed with attention to mechanism of injury, intoxication level, burn size, and surgeries performed. A total of 27 patients with this injury were treated as inpatients over the course of the study period. Two distinct mechanisms of injury emerged: 1) contact with the campfire and 2) flash/flame injuries from igniting the fire. Eighty-one percent (13/16) of patients who sustained contact burns were intoxicated, as compared with 11% (1/11) of those who sustained flash/flame injuries. Nearly half of the patients with contact burns and more than half the patients with flash/flame burns required excision and grafting.     

Improvement of gait by using orthotic insoles in patients with heel injury who received reconstructive flap operations

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of orthotic insoles in heel injury patients who received reconstructive flap operations. DESIGN: Motion analysis and force platform data were collected in able-bodied subjects and patients with heel injuries during walking without and with the use of the total contact insole. Gait kinetics were collected for the hip, knee, and ankle joints and then compared with Student's t tests. RESULTS: Walking velocity and step length were decreased (P < 0.014 and P < 0.005) for patients not wearing the total contact insole. The affected limbs had longer double-support duration (14.8% of gait cycle, P < 0.037) and shorter single-support duration (34.5% of gait cycle, P < 0.045). Less hip power generation was noted for the affected limbs during both initial contact and preswing phases, 0.17 +/- 0.10 N-m/kg-m and 0.45 +/- 0.20 N-m/kg-m, as compared with that of the able-bodied subjects, 0.36 +/- 0.08 N-m/kg-m and 0.89 +/- 0.22 N-m/kg-m, respectively. Decreased ankle power generation was noted for the affected limbs (1.08 +/- 0.38 N-m/kg-m) during preswing phase as compared with the able-bodied subjects (2.24 +/- 0.33 N-m/kg-m). After fitting of the total contact insole, the affected limbs recovered to a gait pattern similar to that of the able-bodied subjects (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Asymmetry of gait pattern after heel injury resulted in altered gait kinetics. Gait symmetry could be recovered in these patients as the total contact insole provides weight acceptance, shock absorption, and cushioning effect for the reconstructed heels.     

How well does the Parkland formula estimate actual fluid resuscitation volumes?

We had anecdotally observed that fluid resuscitation volumes often exceed those estimated by the Parkland Formula in adults with isolated cutaneous burns. The purpose of this study was to compare estimated and actual fluid resuscitation volumes using the Parkland Formula. We performed a retrospective study of fluid resuscitation in patients with burns > or = 15% TBSA. Patients with inhalation injury, high voltage electrical injury, delayed resuscitation, or associated trauma were excluded. We studied 31 patients (mean age 51 +/- 20 years, mean TBSA burn 27 +/- 10%). The 24 hour resuscitation volume of 13 354 +/- 7386 ml (6.7 +/- 2.8 ml/kg/%TBSA) was significantly greater than predicted (P = 0.001) and exceeded estimated volume in 84% of the patients. The mean urine output in the first 24 hrs was 1.2 +/- 0.6 ml/kg/hr. After the first 8 hours of resuscitation, the infusion rate decreased by 34% in 16 patients (DCR group), while in 15 patients the rate increased by 47% (INCR group). Both the DCR and INCR groups received significantly more fluid than predicted, (5.6 +/- 2.1 ml/kg/%TBSA and 7.7 +/- 3.1 ml/kg/%TBSA respectively). The INCR patients had significantly larger full thickness burns (14 +/- 11% vs 3 +/- 6%, P < 0.001). Our findings reveal that despite its effectiveness, the Parkland Formula underestimated the volume requirements in most adults with isolated cutaneous burns, and especially in those with large full thickness burns.     

Epidemiology of electrical burns and its impact on quality of life - the developing world scenario

BACKGROUNDElectrical burns are devastating injuries and can cause deep burns with significant morbidity and delayed sequelae. Epidemiological data regarding the etiology, socioeconomic differences and geographic variation are necessary to assess the disease burden and plan an effective preventive strategy. These severe injuries often lead to amputations and thus hamper quality of life in the long termAIMTo identify the population at maximum risk of sustaining electrical burns. We also studied the impact of electrical burns on these patients in terms of quality of life as well as return to work. METHODSThe study was conducted at a tertiary referral teaching hospital over a period of eighteen months. All patients with a history of sustaining electrical burns and satisfying the inclusion criteria were included in the study. All relevant epidemiological parameters and treatment details were recorded. The patients were subsequently followed up at 3 mo, 6 mo and 9 mo. The standardized Brief Version of the Burn Specific Health Scale (BSHS-B) was adopted to assess quality of life. Statistical analysis was conducted using IBM SPSS statistics (version 22.0). A P value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTSA total of 103 patients were included in the study. The mean age of the patients was 31.83 years (range 18-75 years). A significant majority (91.3%) of patients were male. The mean total body surface area (TBSA) in these patients was 21.1%. In most of the patients (67%), the injury was occupation-related. High voltage injuries were implicated in 72.8% of patients. Among the 75 high voltage burn patients, 31 (41%) required amputation. The mean number of surgeries the patients underwent in hospital was 2.03 (range 1 to 4). The quality of life parameters amongst the patients sustaining high voltage electrical burns were poorer when compared to low voltage injuries at all follow-up intervals across nine domains. In eight of these domains, the difference was statistically significant. Similarly, the scores among the amputees were poorer when compared to non-amputees. The difference was statistically significant in six domains. CONCLUSIONElectrical burns remain a problem in the developing world. Most injuries are occupation-related. The quality of life in patients with high voltage burns and amputees remains poor. Work resumption was almost impossible for amputees. These patients could not regain pre-injury status. Steps should be taken to create awareness and to implement an effective preventive strategy to safeguard against electrical injuries.     

Employee experiences with early return to work programs

Those who administer early return to work programs should be aware of the differing needs of workers who have suffered on the job injuries. Many employees are able to move through a program without problems; others are at risk for poor outcomes. Those workers most in need of assistance should an on the job injury occur are those who have relatively poor satisfaction in the job in which injury occurred, a longer period of disability due to injury, aggravation of injury while on the early return to work program, or perceptions of little support from within the company. Particular attention to certain aspects of programs (identification of workers at risk for poor outcome, design of modified jobs, and communication of concern for workers) may enhance favorable response to early return to work programs.     

遂昌县职业性手外伤患者回归工作状况及其影响因素

目的探讨遂昌县职业性手外伤患者的回归工作情况及其影响因素。方法便利选取2012年6月至2013年6月在遂昌县人民医院住院治疗的192例职业性手外伤患者,记录患者的一般资料,并于出院前评估患者的希望水平,伤后3个月随访其回归工作的情况。结果截至伤后3个月,有122例(63.5%)患者回归工作,缺勤时间中位数为28d(13~86d)。Logistic多元回归分析显示,伤后对家庭总收入水平的影响、受伤部位、手外伤严重程度和希望水平是职业性手外伤患者未回归工作的独立影响因素(均P0.05)。结论遂昌县职业性手外伤患者的回归工作率较低,生物、心理、社会因素均能影响患者的回归,而针对性的心理护理将有助于患者更好地回归工作。     

Intravascular temperature modulation as an adjunct to secondary brain injury prevention in a patient with an epidural hematoma

Epidural hematomas (EDHs) account for 10% of fatal injuries in patients with head trauma. Up to 35% of patients suffering EDHs develop secondary brain injury within days after the initial trauma. Secondary brain injury can profoundly affect a patient's subsequent neurologic recovery and functional status. This case study presents a patient who developed an EDH following severe head trauma with signs and symptoms of secondary brain injury; intravascular temperature modulation was used to treat the secondary injury for a prolonged period of 13 days. The patient showed a complete neurologic recovery with return to work 6 months after her injury.     

Effects of therapeutic hypothermia on intracranial pressure and outcome in patients with severe head injury

OBJECTIVE: Therapeutic hypothermia may improve outcome in patients with severe head injury, but clinical studies have produced conflicting results. We hypothesised that the severe side effects of artificial cooling might have masked the positive effects in earlier studies, and we treated a large group of patients with severe head injury with hypothermia using a strict protocol to prevent the occurrence of cooling-induced side effects. DESIGN: Prospective clinical trial. SETTING: University teaching hospital. PATIENTS: Hundred thirty-six consecutive patients admitted to our hospital with severe head injury (Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) < or =8). MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: Patients included are the 136 patients with a GCS of 8 or less on admission in whom intracranial pressure (ICP) remained above 20 mmHg in spite of therapy according to a step-up protocol. Those who responded to the last step of our protocol (barbiturate coma) constituted the control group (n=72). Those who did not respond to barbiturate coma (n=64) were treated with moderate hypothermia (32-34 degrees C). Average APACHE II scores were higher (28.9+/-14.4 vs 25.2+/-12.1, p<0.01) and average GCS at admission slightly lower (5.37+/-1.8 vs 5.9+/-2.1, p<0.05) in the hypothermia group, indicating greater severity of illness and more severe neurological injury. Predicted mortality was 86% for the hypothermia group versus 80% in controls (p<0.01). Actual mortality rates were significantly lower: 62% versus 72%; the difference in mortality between hypothermic patients and controls was significant (p<0.05). The number of patients with good neurological outcome was also higher in the hypothermia group: 15.7% versus 9.7% for hypothermic patients versus controls, respectively (p<0.02). These differences were explained almost entirely by the subgroup of patients with GCS of 5 or 6 at admission (mortality 52% vs 76%, p<0.01; good neurological outcome 29% vs 8%, p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Artificial cooling can significantly improve survival and neurological outcome in patients with severe head injury when used in a protocol with great attention to the prevention of side effects. Because there is likely to have been bias against the hypothermia group in this study, the positive effects of hypothermia might even have been underestimated. In addition, our results confirm the value of therapeutic hypothermia in treating refractory intracranial hypertension.     

Head injury victims and their return to work after 6 months to 1 year

A prospective and longitudinal study about head injury victims was carried out in order to identify their return to productivity after 6 months and 1 year post-trauma and to analyze the relationship between their return to work and their educational level as well as to determine the relationship between their return to work and their type of job before the onset of the injury. Of the 72 patients who were students or employees pre-injury, or housewives at the time of injury, the majority (73.6%) had returned to productivity 6 months after onset of injury. Of the victims who had returned to productivity, 25.0% had changed their original occupations or reported significant problems when returning to productivity. Baseline return was achieved in 48.6% of the victims at 6 months. Return to productivity was higher at 1 year after injury than at 6 months. When the relationship between return to work and educational level and job type was analyzed, return to work was not related to educational level or job type.     

Electrical injuries

Electrical injuries may occur from high or low voltage contact. Low voltage injuries usually occur in the home, tetany may lead to sustained contact, and dangerous cardiac disturbances often result. High voltage injuries are usually work related and result from brief contact but may cause serious tissue destruction and secondary injuries. Both forms may be fatal. Electrical injury more closely resembles a crush injury than a thermal injury and is managed accordingly. External manifestations often belie the severity of deeper wounds.     

Comparison of acid-base models for prediction of hospital mortality after trauma

This study determines whether mortality after major trauma is predicted by the strong ion gap (SIG) and whether recent refinements in the calculation of SIG improve its predictive value. The design was an observational, retrospective review of trauma patients admitted on a single service at a level 1 facility. The setting was an urban level 1 trauma facility. An unselected cohort of patients sustaining blunt and/or penetrating injury requiring intensive care unit care was chosen. There were no interventions. Age, injury mechanism, survival, arterial blood gases, hemoglobin, albumin, electrolytes, lactate, standard base deficit, strong ion difference (SID), buffer base, and SIG were analyzed. Patients were grouped into survivors and nonsurvivors according to in-hospital survival truncated to 28 days. Multivariate logistic regression was used for further analysis of univariate predictors of mortality, and receiver-operator characteristic curves were generated for mortality. Both nonsurvivors (n = 26) and survivors (n = 52) were similar with respect to age (31.9 +/- 11.5 vs. 33.5 +/- 11.6 years) and injury mechanism (blunt 61% vs. 58%) Nonsurvivors were more likely to have multicavity injury (54% vs. 26%; P < 0.01) than survivors. Nonsurvivor and survivor pH (7.36 +/- 0.15 vs. 7.38 +/- 0.09), HCO3(-) (20.4 +/- 3.9 vs. 21.7 +/- 2.5 mEq/L; P = 0.11), albumin (3.6 +/- 0.7 vs. 3.5 +/- 0.5 gm/dL), lactate (2.9 +/- 2.5 vs. 2.3 +/- 1.3 mmol/L; P = 0.24), and phosphate (3.1 +/- 0.9 vs. 3.4 +/- 0.8 mEq/L; P = 0.26) were similar. Forty-two percent of nonsurvivors had normal lactate levels, whereas 33% of survivors had lactic acidosis. However, the apparent SID (41.0 +/- 4.2 vs. 36.7 +/- 5.5 mEq/L; P < 0.001), effective SID (32.7 +/- 4.2 vs. 35.4 +/- 4.9 mEq/L; P = 0.019), and SIG (8.3 +/- 4.4 vs. 1.3 +/- 3.6 mEq/L; P < 0.001) were all significantly different between nonsurvivors and survivors. Only one (2%) survivor had an SIG greater than 5 mEq/L, and only two (7%) nonsurvivors had an SIG less than 5 mEq/L. Admission pH, HCO3-, and lactate were poor predictors of hospital mortality after trauma. An elevated SIG presaged mortality after injury and should be assessed on admission.     

Acute and chronic whiplash disorders--a review.

OBJECTIVE: This review examines acute and chronic whiplash-associated disorders to facilitate assessment, treatment and rehabilitation for further research and evidence-based practices. DESIGN: A review of the literature. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Whiplash-associated disorders account for a large proportion of the overall impairment and disability caused by traffic injuries. Rarely can a definite injury be determined in the acute (or chronic) phase. Crash-related factors have been identified, and several trauma mechanisms possibly causing different injuries have been described. Most whiplash trauma will not cause injury, and the majority of patients (92-95%) will return to work. Litigation is not a major factor. Cognitive impairments are not the same as brain injury. Variables such as pain intensity, restricted motion, neurological symptoms and signs, together with central nervous system symptoms can be used to predict a situation with risk of remaining complaints. Influences of other factors--the same as for other chronic pain conditions--also exist. Persistent/chronic pain is not merely acute pain that persists over time; changes occur at different levels of the pain transmission system. Chronic whiplash-associated disorders are associated with problems concerning social functioning, daily anxieties and satisfaction with different aspects of life. Adequate information, advice and pain medication together with active interventions might be more effective in the acute stage. Early multidisciplinary rehabilitation focusing on cognitive-behavioural changes might be of value. To develop specific treatment and rehabilitation, it is important to identify homogenous subgroups.     

Deficiency in peripheral glutamine production in pediatric patients with burns

Plasma glutamine levels decrease in association with severe injury, which suggests that the consumption of glutamine exceeds the production of glutamine or possibly represents a deficit in the release of glutamine from skeletal muscle. The goal of this study was to assess the peripheral glutamine kinetic response to prolonged stress in children with critical injuries. To accomplish this purpose, we quantitated peripheral glutamine kinetics in vivo with the use of 5N15 glutamine in 5 children with severe burns (total body surface area, 74%+/-14%; mean +/- SEM) and 3 children who underwent elective scar reconstruction. In the children with severe burns, leg blood flow was significantly elevated (16.2+/-2.1 vs 7.5 +/-0.3 mL/min/100 mL leg volume, P < .02) and the arterial concentration of glutamine was significantly reduced (0.31+/-0.04 vs 0.84+/-0.05 mmol/L, P < .001). The rate of glutamine turnover within the leg was significantly reduced in the patients with acute burns, whereas the net efflux of glutamine was similar between the 2 groups. These findings suggest that plasma glutamine concentrations decrease during severe stress as a result of a deficit in peripheral glutamine release in conjunction with an increased central consumption. This preliminary study supports the notion that exogenous glutamine supplementation in pediatric patients with severe injuries may be needed because of this inadequate skeletal muscle response.     

Snowmobile injuries in children and adolescents

OBJECTIVE: To characterize the risk factors and patterns of injury for children involved in snowmobile incidents. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We reviewed the medical records of patients younger than 18 years who required hospital admission for snowmobile-related incidents from 1992 to 2001. Information obtained from these records and from the trauma database included patient demographics, mechanism of injury, injury patterns, medical care, and outcomes. RESULTS: Forty-three patients were admitted to our hospital for snowmobile-related incidents. Snowmobile incidents occurred most commonly in male adolescents. The 2 most common mechanisms of injury were ejection and striking a stationary object. Twenty-seven (63%) of the patients drove the snowmobile. Only 23 patients (53%) wore a helmet. At presentation, the mean +/- SEM Injury Severity Score (ISS) was 12.1 +/- 1.4. Orthopedic injuries predominated (n = 42); however, abdominal (n = 12) and head (n = 8) injuries were also common. Four patients were intubated, and 15 required intensive care unit admission. Twenty-nine patients (67%) required surgical intervention. The mean +/- SEM length of hospitalization was 6.7 +/- 1.4 days. No deaths occurred; however, 7 patients (16%) had long-term disabilities. A significant improvement occurred in both Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score and ISS for patients using a helmet. In addition, helmet use increased with age (P = .01). Days in the intensive care unit were proportional to both GCS score (r(s) = -0.47; P = .002) and ISS (r(s) = 0.6; P < .001). Length of hospitalization also correlated with both GCS score (r(s) = -0.03; P = .008) and ISS (r(s) = 0.54; P = .02). CONCLUSION: Snowmobiles are a significant source of multitrauma for children. Orthopedic injuries predominate, especially in older children, and can lead to long-term disabilities. Helmet use significantly reduces injuries; however, vulnerable younger patients do not frequently wear helmets.