Racing to Disaster: A 10-Year Retrospective Analysis of Pediatric Competitive Motocross Injuries

Division

North Florida

Hospital

North Florida Regional Medical Center

Document Type

Manuscript

Publication Date

8-25-2024

Keywords

motorcross injuries, pediatric, trauma

Disciplines

Emergency Medicine | Trauma

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: In competitive motocross, children as young as 4 years old race in groups on motorized off-road bikes on uneven terrain. We aimed to describe pediatric injuries occurring during an annual week-long certified amateur motocross competition between 2011 and 2021. Secondarily, we compared injury characteristics and medical evaluation by age.

METHODS: This retrospective analysis of injuries sustained by children during an annual motocross competition included children(young child less than 12 years vs. adolescent 12 years or older).

RESULTS: Over the 10-week study period (1 week per year for each of 10 years), 286 encounters were made by 278 children. Nearly all children (280/286, 98%) underwent imaging; most had at least one traumatic finding (71.7% of x-rays, 62.4% of computed tomography [CT] scans). Ninety-three children (32.5% of 286) sustained multisystem injuries. Emergency department procedures included one endotracheal intubation, one thoracostomy, 46 closed reductions, and 37 procedural sedations. Twenty-eight children (9.8% of 286) required operative intervention. Overall, 25.5% of children (73/286) were hospitalized and one adolescent died. Adolescents were more likely than young children to undergo CT imaging (40.1% vs. 26.8%,

CONCLUSION: This comprehensive assessment of injuries sustained by children during competitive motocross demonstrates significant morbidity and mortality. Findings have implications for families who consider participation and health systems in regions where competitions occur.

Publisher or Conference

Journal of the American College of Emergency Physicians Open

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