Craniofacial XXXX in injured motorcyclists: the impact of helmet usage.

@entity2122 @entity1 @entity3510 @entity174 @entity167 @entity130
Helmets are effective in decreasing maxillofacial @entity130 in motorcycle crashes. The impact, however, of motorcycle crashes on the location and patterns of @entity2122 among helmeted versus unhelmeted @entity1 has not been examined. In the present study, 331 injured motorcyclists were evaluated to compare the incidence of craniofacial and @entity3510 in 77 (23%) helmeted and 254 (77%) nonhelmeted @entity1 . Nonhelmeted motorcyclists were three times more likely to @entity174 (5.2% vs. 16.1%) than those wearing helmets (p < 0.01). Skull @entity174 occurred in only one helmeted @entity1 (1.2%), compared with 36 (12.3%) of nonhelmeted @entity1 (p < or = 0.01). The incidence of @entity3510 was not significantly different between the two groups. Blood @entity167 levels demonstrated that 12% of the helmeted group were legally intoxicated (blood @entity167 level > 100 mg/dL), in contrast to 37.9% of the nonhelmeted motorcyclists (p < or = 0.01). Failure to wear a helmet resulted in a significantly higher incidence of @entity2122 among @entity1 involved in motorcycle crashes, but did not affect @entity3510 or mortality. @entity167 usage seemed to correlate with failure to use helmets. Helmet use should be legally mandated on a national level for all motorcyclists.
