Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2013 Jun;112(3):117-22; quiz 123.

A single urban center experience with adult pedestrians struck by motor vehicles

Lisa M McElroy  1 , Jeremy J Juern, Annette Bertleson, Qun Xiang, Aniko Szabo, John Weigelt
Affiliations

A single urban center experience with adult pedestrians struck by motor vehicles

Lisa M McElroy et al. WMJ. 2013 Jun.

Abstract

Background: Pedestrian-vehicle crashes are a significant problem in public health. Understanding contributing factors within a specific community helps recognize and target key intervention points.

Methods: Trauma registry analysis included all of the patients treated at a Level I trauma center following pedestrian-motor vehicle collisions from January 1, 2000 to December 31, 2010. Variables examined included patient demographics, timing of collision, abbreviated injury scale score, injury severity score (ISS), hospital and intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay (LOS), and emergency department and hospital disposition.

Results: A total of 945 pedestrians were reviewed within the study period. Average age was 46.4+/-19.4 years. One hundred seventy-seven (18.7%) patients were elderly and of the elderly group, 69 (39%) were 80 years of age or greater. The median ISS score was 12, average hospital LOS was 10.8 days and average ICU length of stay was 6.0+/-7.5 days. More elderly patients required admission to the ICU than the nonelderly (61.6% vs 40.2%; P<0.001), and more elderly patients required admission to a skilled nursing facility than nonelderly (42.1% vs. 9%; P< 0.001). The mortality rate for elderly patients was more than double that of nonelderly patients (20.9% vs 9.1%; P<0.001). Pedestrian-motor vehicle collisions occurred disproportionately between the hours of 6 PM and midnight (P< 0.0001).

Conclusion: Elderly patients struck by a motor vehicle have a mortality rate twice that of the nonelderly and a higher rate of discharge to a skilled nursing facility, despite having a similar injury severity score on admission. This highlights the need for aggressive prevention efforts targeted at the elderly population.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Time of Pedestrian-Vehicle Crashes.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Day of Pedestrian-Vehicle Crashes
Figure 3
Figure 3
Month of Pedestrian-Vehicle Crashes.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Emergency Department Disposition Following Pedestrian-Vehicle Crashes.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Hospital Disposition Following Pedestrian-Vehicle Crashes.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. National Pedestrian Crash Report. Washington, DC: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration; [Accessed April 29, 2013]. http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/810968.pdf. DOT HS 810 968. Published June 2008.
    1. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. A Compilation of Motor Vehicle Crash Data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System and the General Estimates System. Washington, DC: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration; [Accessed April 29, 2013.]. Traffic Safety Facts 2008. http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811170.pdf. DOT HS 811 170. Published 2009.
    1. Brainard BJ, Slauterbeck J, Benjamin JB, Hagaman RM, Higie S. Injury profiles in pedestrian motor vehicle trauma. Ann Emerg Med. 1989;18(8):881–883. - PubMed
    1. Derlet RW, Silva J, Jr, Holcroft J. Pedestrian accidents: adult and pediatric injuries. J Emerg Med. 1989;7(1):5–8. - PubMed
    1. Ifesanya AO, Afuwape D, Okoje VN, et al. Unintentional injury outcomes secondary to pedestrian traffic crashes: a descriptive analysis from a major medical center. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2009;24(5):443–446. - PubMed

Publication types

MeSH terms