Golf carts causing serious injuries to children
Researchers looked at Pennsylvania's state trauma center database and identified 108 patients under age 18 who were treated between January 2004 and December 2014 for injuries they sustained while using a golf cart. These children averaged 11 years of age and spent anywhere from one to 26 days in the hospital for their injuries. Among other findings: There was one fatality, and intensive care unit (ICU) admission was required in 36 percent of the patients. More than three-quarters of the children (76 percent) broke at least one bone. Skull fractures were more prevalent than extremity fractures. More than a quarter of the children (27 percent) sustained a concussion, while between 25 percent and 30 percent of children had intracranial injury and bleeding within the skull. "Just because golf carts don't usually reach speeds other recreational vehicles can, this doesn't mean they are harmless," said Mariano Garay, MD, a Penn State College of Medicine researc...