Swedish study of horse-related accidents reveals surprisingly few serious mishaps

© Mike Bain

A Swedish study of injuries inwards horse-riding mishaps has left researchers wondering whether regulations as well as security equipment may convey reduced the number of serious injuries.

The researchers investigated the records of all patients attention the emergency subdivision at Linköping University Hospital during a two-year catamenia due to horse-related trauma.

Horse riding, amongst almost 200,000 participants, is the 8th most pop sport inwards Sweden.

In all, 147 children as well as 141 adults turned upwardly at the subdivision amongst horse-related injuries.

The researchers, Jakob Altgärde, Stefan Redéen, Niclas Hilding as well as Peder Drott, works life that the most mutual machinery of injury was falling from the horse.

Most commonly, little sprains as well as soft tissue injuries were seen, but likewise little caput injuries as well as fractures, mainly inwards the upper limbs.

In total, 26 adults as well as 37 children were admitted. Of these 63 patients, xix were considered to convey a serious injury. In total, iv patients needed handling inwards intensive assist units.

The authors, whose findings convey been published inwards the Scandinavian Journal of Trauma, Resuscitation as well as Emergency Medicine, said Equus caballus riding was a sport amongst well-known risks.

Their results largely corresponded amongst the literature, they said. “However, nosotros convey non observed the same incidence of serious injuries. In contrast, nosotros discover these to endure fairly uncommon.

“The injuries are mainly minor, amongst a little adventure of long term morbidity. Over fourth dimension regulations as well as security equipment appear to convey decreased the number of serious accidents,” they wrote.

Altgärde as well as his colleagues launched the study to investigate if injuries associated amongst Equus caballus riding were common, which type of injuries occurred, what mechanisms were involved, as well as to guess the costs to society.

Their enquiry of admission records related to 2003-2004.

Results from previous studies showed that the most mutual horse-related injuries were caput injuries as well as fractures of the long bones. Horse-related trauma is likewise to a greater extent than mutual amid women, amongst a peak incidence at the historic catamenia of 14.

They defined serious injuries every bit those requiring hospitalisation for 3 or to a greater extent than days, or requiring ill locomote out for 1 calendar month or more.

The most mutual machinery of injury was falling off the horse, involving 125 of the children as well as 92 of the adults. In about of these cases, the Equus caballus likewise fell, or stepped on the rider, or kicked them. In the cases of 3 children as well as 3 adults, they got their human foot caught inwards a stirrup. One kid as well as iv adults were dragged every bit a consequence.

Eleven children turned upwardly to infirmary because they had been kicked, every bit did 23 adults. Six children were stepped on, every bit were fourteen adults. One kid suffered a seize amongst teeth requiring infirmary treatment. Another kid was injured when the Equus caballus all of a abrupt stopped inwards front end of an obstacle.

Two children as well as 1 adult were injured when squeezed betwixt the Equus caballus as well as a wall.

Three adult riders got a finger caught inwards the reins as well as were pulled along yesteryear the horse. One adult hitting an obstruction piece riding.

Five adults were hitting yesteryear the horse’s cervix or head.

Most of the injuries were little sprains as well as lite soft tissue injuries, Altgärde as well as his colleagues reported.

In total, 37 children as well as 26 adults were admitted, amongst iv children as well as nine adults staying for at to the lowest degree 3 days.

None of the patients died.

Medical government pose the amount toll of treating the children inwards the study at €210 000 as well as the adults at €200,000, which works out at almost €400 per accident.

Sixteen per centum of the adults required ill locomote out afterwards their accident.

The researchers noted the authorization of females inwards the study population – 98 per centum amid the children as well as 91 per centum amid adults.

There was a higher charge per unit of measurement of adults (31 percent) injured piece dismounted than children (11 percent).

Comparing injury mechanisms betwixt children as well as adults; 85 per centum of the children had autumn accidents as well as seven per centum were kicked, piece 65 per centum of the adults had autumn accidents as well as xvi per centum were kicked.

Minor sprains as well as soft tissue injuries were the most mutual type of injury inwards both groups. In both groups, fractures were mainly located inwards the upper extremity as well as ordinarily followed falling injuries.

The most commonly injured sites were the extremities – the caput as well as cervix – particularly as well as thence amid the children.

They noted the admission rates as well as number of patients requiring ill locomote out were much lower than that recorded inwards a similar two-year study conducted at a dissimilar infirmary 24 years earlier.

“The decreased take away for ill locomote out as well as admission charge per unit of measurement perchance reflects the changes inwards management of these patients over the years,” they said. “It mightiness fifty-fifty reverberate an increased role of security equipment.”

Horse-related trauma inwards children as well as adults during a 2 twelvemonth period.
Jakob Altgärde, Stefan Redéen, Niclas Hilding as well as Peder Drott.
Scandinavian Journal of Trauma, Resuscitation as well as Emergency Medicine 2014, 22:40 doi:10.1186/s13049-014-0040-8

The amount study tin endure read here.

 

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