ATV Safety: Size Matters

Posted on November 23, 2011 by Kristine Meredith

The popularity of ATVs has grown tremendously over the years, reaching 9.5 million vehicles in 2007. Accordingly, the rate of traumatic brain and spinal injuries resulting from ATV accidents has also risen, especially in children. Between 1982 and 2007, nearly 9000 riders died in ATV accidents and approximately 40% of them were children under age 16. Currently, ATV federal standards are lax, requiring manufacturers to limit speed capabilities for all youth-sized models. Recently, researchers recommended ATVs designed for children should have both size and weight limitations for riders. Confirming what may appear obvious, a recent study conducted by ER physicians and mechanical engineers, concluded that children, due to their size and weight, are at considerable risk of injury when operating an ATV. The researchers state: “mechanical differences and proportional safety risks that are present on adult-sized ATVs used by youth. Current child-sized ATV stratifications determined using regulated engine speed may not be enough to mitigate risks associated with the size and weight of these vehicles.”

According to auto safety experts at Safety Research & Standards Institute, the importation and sales of three-wheeled ATVs was banned in 2009 and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has required manufacturers to file and implement voluntary action plans. These plans include commitments to provide safety information and guidelines regarding the appropriate age for child and adult-sized machines. The manufacturers also consented to instruct dealers not to market adult machines to child riders and to monitor dealers under-cover to ensure that dealers are complying.

California’s ATV laws are also lax. The laws require riders to wear helmets and minors to be supervised by their parent/guardian or an authorized adult. The laws also restricts children from riding on public land unless the child rider is taking a safety training course; or riding while supervised by an adult who has a safety certificate. No California laws currently restrict the speed or size of the ATV a child may ride. Given the findings of the most current research, manufacturers should increase efforts to educate riders about the safety risks present when children ride adult-sized ATVs.
 

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NHL Revamps its Concussion Protocol

Posted on March 23, 2011 by Kristine Meredith

Following a recent threat by Air Canada to pull its sponsorship dollars, the NHL announced a revision of the NHL Protocol for Concussion Evaluation and Management. The Protocol now requires:

  1.  Mandatory removal from play if a player reports any listed symptoms or shows any listed signs of a concussion;
  2. Examination by the team physician in a quiet place free from distraction and use of "an acute evaluation tool" by team physicians rather than a quick rinkside assessment.
  3. The NHL board will be asked to elevate the standard for holding a team and its coach accountable if there are a number of "repeat offenders" with regard to supplementary discipline.
  4. A safety engineering firm will evaluate all 30 arenas and determine what changes, if any, can and should be made to enhance player safety.
  5.  A 'blue-ribbon' committee of former players including Brendan Shanahan, Rob Blake, Steve Yzerman and Joe Nieuwendyk will look at safety issues.

The Ontario Hockey League has been a proponent of concussion education. Its president David Branch gives a nod to the NHL revisions but emphasizes that it does not go as far as the OHL which penalizes all hits to the head.  Also, the OHL has circulated a DVD to its players. OHL said:

The message to players is: You have to recognize these symptoms and you have an obligation to tell your team . . . We’ve got a problem with head injuries in our game and you are part – part – of the solution. It wasn’t intended to scare them. It wasn’t a threat – that we plan to suspend you. It was intended to educate, to get buy-in from the players, and to support the players.”

Thumbs up to Air Canada and the professional hockey leagues.  As they encourage education about brain injuries education, their fans will also better understand the seriousness of concussions.

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Preventing Second Impact Syndrome in High School Athletes

Posted on September 24, 2010 by Kristine Meredith

“Second Impact Syndrome” refers to mild brain injuries suffered repeatedly within a short period (hours, days, or weeks). Although all brain injuries are serious, second impacts can be catastrophic or even fatal. The American Academy of Neurology has developed guidelines  for deciding when it is safe to return to play after a first injury. The Academy recommends that, to reduce the risk of the second impact syndrome, an athlete who suffers a head injury resulting in temporary confusion, amnesia, or other alteration of mental status should not return to play until examined by a health-care provider familiar with these guidelines. Sport oversight committees such as California Interscholastic Federation, have begun to adopt these recommendations.

The guidelines rely in part on self-reporting by student athletes or close observation by coaches and other players. Unfortunately, athletes are often reluctant to admit their injury. To prevent their child athlete from suffering a second impact catastrophe, parents should do the following:

  • Know and recognize the symptoms of a brain injury. As described here.
  • Learn what the coaches know about brain injuries.
  • Find out whether the school has policy for handling brain injuries.
  • Educate your child about the catastrophic risks of a second impact and
  • Emphasize to your child the danger of hiding even the seemingly minor symptoms of brain injury.
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Coup Contrecoup Brain Injuries

Posted on June 16, 2009 by Kristine Meredith

An impact on one side of the head can cause the pudding-like substance of the brain to hit the inside of the skull and then bounce back and hit the inside of the skull on the opposite side of the head.  When the brain suffers two injuries from one impact, it is called a “coup contrecoup,” or “coup contra coup” injury. Sometimes, the secondary (contrecoup) injury is more damaging than the primary (coup) injury. To complicate things, internal bleeding and swelling from the primary injury can mask the brain damage caused by the secondary injury.  One of my clients went weeks before sophisticated imaging of his brain and neuroevaluations showed that his cognitive problems were almost all due to a “contrecoup injury,” rather than the more obvious “coup” injury.

 

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