Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Abdominal injuries involving bicycle handlebars in 219 children: results of 8-year follow-up

  • Original Article
  • Published:
European Journal of Trauma and Emergency Surgery Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Objectives

Handlebar injuries are one of the most common causes of abdominal injuries in children. We aim to investigate the epidemiology of bicycle handlebar injuries and to emphasize the severity of the injuries.

Methods

A retrospective analysis of children admitted to our hospital with abdominal injury related to bicycle handlebars was performed.

Results

A total of 219 children (187 males and 32 females) younger than 17 years were hospitalized for abdominal handlebar injuries between 2005 and 2013. The age range of the patients was 4–17 (mean 10.93 ± 3.68) years. Most patients had an imprint of the handlebar edge on their abdomen. The most common abdominal organ injury was liver laceration. 33 patients had pancreas injury and 13 patients had hollow organ injury. Most patients were treated conservatively. Surgery was performed in 24 patients. Hospital stay was 4–60 (mean 9.63 ± 13.37) days.

Conclusions

Trend of bicycle handlebar trauma over this time period was related to the local floating population and economy. The most common abdominal organ injury was liver. Hollow organ injury required emergency exploratory laparotomy and the Roux-y anastomosis applied well in cases whose gastrointestinal tract damaged seriously. Pancreatic injury usually led to secondary pseudocyst. The percutaneous ultrasound-guided drainage of pancreatic pseudocyst was really an effective way. The trend in the amylase and lipase levels could reflect the pancreatic injury condition and predict prognosis. Early diagnosis and optimal care without delay may help to reduce the morbidity of injuries to the internal organs. Children with abdominal handlebar injuries should be treated with great care.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Davidson CM, Torunian M, Walsh P, Thompson W, McFaull S, Pickett W. Bicycle helmet use and bicycling-related injury among young Canadians: an equity analysis. Int J Equity Health. 2013;12:48.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Tracy ET, Englum BR, Barbas AR, Foley C, Rice HE, Shapiro ML. Pediatric injury patterns by year of age. J Pediatr Surg. 2013;48(6):1384–8.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Dennis J, Ramsay T, Turgeon AF, Zarychanski R. Helmet legislation and admissions to hospital for cycling related head injuries in Canadian provinces and territories: interrupted time series analysis. BMJ. 2013;346:f2674.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Acton CHC, Thomas S, Nixon JW. Children and bicycles: what is really happening? Studies of fatal and non-fatal bicycle injury. Inj Prev. 1995;1(2):86–91.

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Lam JP, Eunson GJ, Munro FD, Orr JD. Delayed presentation of handlebar injuries in children. BMJ. 2001;322(7297):1288–9.

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Alkan M, Iskit S, Soyupak S, et al. Severe abdominal trauma involving bicycle handlebars in children. Pediatr Emerg Care. 2012;28(4):357–60.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Adamson WT, Hebra A, Thomas PB, et al. Serum amylase and lipase alone are not cost effective screening methods for pediatric pancreatic trauma. J Pediatr Surg. 2003;38(3):354–7.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Klin B, Abu-Kishk I, Jeroukhimov I, et al. Blunt pancreatic trauma in children. Surg Today. 2011;41(7):946–54.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Cuenca AG, Islam S. Pediatric pancreatic trauma: trending toward nonoperative management? Am Surg. 2012;78(11):1204–10.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Clendenon JN, Meyers RL, Nance ML, et al. Management of duodenal injuries in children. J Pediatr Surg. 2004;39(6):964–8.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Ladd AP, West KW, Rouse TM, et al. Surgical management of duodenal injuries in children. Surgery. 2002;132(4):748–52.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Marwan A, Harmon CM, Georgeson KE, et al. Use of laparoscopy in the management of pediatric abdominal trauma. J Trauma. 2010;69(4):761–4.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Huang CL, Lee JY, Chang YT. Early laparoscopic repair for blunt duodenal perforation in an adolescent. J Pediatr Surg. 2012;47(5):E11–4.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Tytgat SHAJ, Zwaveling S, Kramer WLM, et al. Laparoscopic treatment of gastric and duodenal perforation in children after blunt abdominal trauma. Injury. 2012;43(9):1442–4.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Ramesh J, Bang JY, Trevino J. Endoscopic Ultrasound–guided Drainage of Pancreatic Fluid Collections in Children. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2013;56(1):30–5.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank our colleagues from the Department of Pediatric Surgery, for their assistance with data collection.

Conflict of interest

Li–Na Dai, Cong-De Chen, Xiao-Kun Lin, Yong-Biao Wang, Li-Guang Xia, Ping Liu, Xiao-Ming Chen and Zhong-Rong Li declare that they have no conflict of interest

Compliance with ethical requirements

This article does not contain any studies with human participants or animals performed by any of the authors.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatric Surgery, The 2nd Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children’s Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China

    L.-N. Dai, C.-D. Chen, X.-K. Lin, Y.-B. Wang, L.-G. Xia, P. Liu, X.-M. Chen & Z.-R. Li

Authors
  1. L.-N. Dai
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. C.-D. Chen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. X.-K. Lin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Y.-B. Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. L.-G. Xia
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. P. Liu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. X.-M. Chen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Z.-R. Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to C.-D. Chen.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Dai, LN., Chen, CD., Lin, XK. et al. Abdominal injuries involving bicycle handlebars in 219 children: results of 8-year follow-up. Eur J Trauma Emerg Surg 41, 551–555 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00068-014-0477-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00068-014-0477-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation