Youth motorcycle-related hospitalizations and traumatic brain injuries in the United States in 2006

Abstract

Objectives: The objectives were to provide national injury and health care cost estimates for youth motorcycle injuries in traffic and nontraffic settings and to focus on the burden of serious motorcycle-related traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) in children and young adults.

Methods: The 2006 Kids' Inpatient Database is a sample of inpatient discharges for US patients <21 years of age from 38 states. This cross-sectional analysis of the 2006 Kids' Inpatient Database included comparisons of TBI versus non-TBI and traffic versus nontraffic motorcycle-related crashes for ages 12 to 20, with national estimates of hospital charges and costs, length of stay, severity, and long-term disability rates.

Results: Motorcycle-related crashes accounted for 5662 discharges (95% confidence interval: 5201-6122 discharges), which amounts to 3% of injury hospitalizations among youths and 5% of TBI diagnoses; two-thirds of cases were traffic-related, and one-third of patients sustained a TBI (1793 patients [95% confidence interval: 1631-1955 patients]). Among patients with TBIs, the overall probability of long-term disability was 24%. Patients with TBIs were 3.6 times more likely to be discharged to a rehabilitation facility and >10 times more likely to die in the hospital than were patients without TBIs.

Conclusions: Motorcycle injuries are a substantial cause of youth injury hospitalizations. The large proportion, costs, and morbidity of TBI diagnoses in youth motorcycle crashes emphasize the need for effective crash prevention and head protection.