The mercury is on the plus side of zero again, which means that Canadians will be swapping snowmobiles for all-terrain vehicles (ATVs). And doctors should get ready. The Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) says the number of ATV-related hospitalizations has increased by almost 50% in the last 5 years. According to the 2003 National Trauma Registry Report: Hospital Injury Admissions, 2535 people were hospitalized following ATV accidents in 2000/01, up from 1693 in 1996/97.
New Brunswick, with a 90% jump, experienced the largest increase, followed by Alberta and Nova Scotia. Quebec had the highest number of hospitalizations in 2000/01, with 577.
CIHI says most injuries involve fractures and dislocations, but the smaller number of head injuries is worrisome. “Some head injuries can have long-term consequences, and a lot can be fatal,” says CIHI consultant Julian Martalog.
Although ATV-related accidents account for only 1.3% of all injury-related hospitalizations, CIHI says it is the only type of injury whose incidence has increased dramatically during the past 5 years. The incidence of all other injuries, including unintentional falls, motor vehicle collisions and assaults, all declined. Unintentional falls (56% of total) remain the leading injury-related cause of hospitalization in Canada. — Tim Lai, CMAJ