ATV Accident Injuries – Treatment Challenges

Various injuries can result from ATV accidents. There are various challenges to treatment for anyone injured in an all-terrain vehicle crash. First, the potential major injuries are high, including serious burns, organ damage, or even a spinal cord injury. Sometimes, the symptoms of such problems may not be immediately evident.

Uncertainties as to the extent and scope of injuries are challenging for anyone at the scene and first responders and medical teams. A fire or explosion involving the ATV can complicate matters. The first goals are often to restrict motion, keep the person’s airway open, and bandage and splint any burned/injured parts of the body. Moving an individual unless they are properly secured can lead to further injury and complications.

The Nature of ATV Accident Injuries Presents Challenges

It is important to assess the person’s condition as soon as possible. The most common injuries associated with all-terrain vehicle accidents can make them hard to treat on the scene. They can involve any part of the body, but most frequently the head, spine, chest, abdomen, and extremities are involved. Any burns sustained in the case of a fire must be tended to right away. It’s not uncommon for a single- or multi-person ATV to catch fire. In 2015, four people were burned in the Mojave Desert of California after their vehicle caught fire, and transported to local hospitals.

The more severe the injury, the greater the challenge in treating a person, especially if cardiac arrest is involved. This generally leads to a poor outcome. If a fire or explosion was involved, then any medical issues aside from burns can be exacerbated, and treatment can become more difficult.

Identifying possible issues is important if one is trained to do so. It is important to address early treatment challenges; the victim should be checked for signs of spinal fractures and paralysis, abnormal heart tones and blood pressure, rib fractures, difficulty breathing, trachea deviation, and bleeding. Once at a trauma facility, X-rays, CT scans, and MRI scans are conducted if available to determine the exact nature of the injuries a person suffered in an accident in addition to burns resulting from fires or explosions.

Accessibility

The location of the accident and injury can affect the availability of medical help. People often get into ATV accidents in rural areas, where they tend to be further from paved roads and hospitals. In a rural setting, it can take as long as one to two hours to transport a victim to a hospital, while the out-of-hospital time can be as little as minutes in a city.

Transport

Proper treatment in an ambulance can mean the difference between life and death. A lot of factors need to be considered, including whether the patient is stable or critical and whether they sustained serious burns from the accident. Distances to hospitals are often a concern, and it’s often essential that the facility has trauma services able to handle ventilation issues, blood transfusions, or major injuries resulting from ATV fires.