• Sadiqa Kendi, James M Chamberlain, Ryan L Pearman, Gia M Badolato, and Mark R Zonfrillo.
• From the Department of Pediatrics, Boston Medical Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA.
• Pediatr Emerg Care. 2022 Dec 1; 38 (12): 686691686-691.

ObjectivesThere are limited data on how often providers collect and document adequate restraint information in children seen in the emergency department (ED) after motor vehicle crashes (MVCs). The objectives of this study are to determine (1) how often adequate child restraint information to determine age-appropriate use is documented after MVC; (2) the frequency of incorrect use of the child restraint when adequate details are documented; and (3) for those discharged from the ED with identified incorrect use, the frequency of provision of information on child passenger safety (CPS).MethodsRetrospective chart review of visits of children younger than 13 years with an International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision code for MVC to an urban, academic, level 1 pediatric trauma center, from October 2015 to September 2018. Adequate documentation of child restraint use was defined as identification of location of the child in the car (front vs rear row), type of restraint used, and forward or rear facing for children 24 months or younger.ResultsA total of 165 visits qualified for inclusion. There was adequate documentation in 46% of visits. Of those, incorrect child restraint use was identified in 49%. Of discharged patients with incorrect use, 10% had documentation of provision of CPS information.ConclusionsAdequate details to determine proper age-appropriate restraint use are documented in only half of ED visits for MVC. Very few are given CPS instructions on discharge, even when incorrect use has been identified. Identification of incorrect restraint use in the ED is an opportunity for a teachable moment that is being underused.Copyright © 2022 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.

9 keywords...

hide…