• D R Farley, T F Orchard, M P Bannon, and S P Zietlow.
• Department of Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.
• Minn Med. 1996 Dec 1; 79 (12): 21-5.

AbstractFrom January 1, 1991, through May 1, 1993, we identified 42 patients from our prospective computer-based trauma registry (38 males, four females; mean age, 25 years) who were hospitalized after snowmobile accidents. The primary reason for hospitalization varied: bone fracture (n = 18), blunt abdominal trauma (n = nine), closed head injury (n = five), and miscellaneous injuries (n = 10). The mean injury Severity Score was 9.3 (range, one to 43; median, nine). Twenty-six patients (62%) required emergent operation. Mean hospital stay was six days (range, one to 16 days). Thirteen patients had complications: seven had wound infection; three, ileus; and three, miscellaneous. One severely injured hypothermic patient died. Medical charges totaled $569,566 (mean, $16,227; range, $1,003 to $51,642). Snowmobiling causes significant accidental injury in young persons. The physical and financial costs of such injuries are high.

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