OBJECTIVE: To determine the types and patterns of injuries seen in personal watercraft (PWC) accidents. DESIGN: A retrospective review of medical records and imaging studies. SETTING: Level 1 and 2 trauma centers in San Diego County, California. PATIENTS/PARTICIPANTS: Trauma patients treated for PWC-related injuries between 1984 and 1997. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Evaluation of injury patterns via chart review and imaging studies. INTERVENTION: None. RESULTS: A total of 62 patients were identified. The average age was 23 years (range 2-59 years). There were 41 males and 21 females. A total of 35 injuries (56%) involved another PWC. Of patients, 24 had loss of consciousness, with 8 closed head injuries. There were 17 chest injuries, with 10 pneumothoraces, and 16 lower extremity fractures (9 femur, 3 hip, 3 tibia-fibula, and 1 patella). CONCLUSIONS: Injuries related to PWC have increased dramatically over the past several years, becoming one of the leading causes of recreational water-sport injuries. This study supports a high level of awareness for significant blunt trauma to the chest and lower extremities in patients involved in PWC accidents.
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Kim et al. (2003) studied this question.
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