Characteristics of the bicycle driver accident and factors related to the hospital admission: a multi-center retrospective study between 2011 to 2016

Objective:
This study aimed to identify the characteristics of bicycle driver accidents, and investigate the factors related to the admission.
Method:
Adult patients (≥20 years old), who visited the emergency department (ED) after a bicycle driver accident registered in the Korean ED-based Injury In-Depth Surveillance (2011-2016) database, were included. The demographic characteristics, accident-related factors, and patients’disposition after the ED treatment were collected. All included cases were categorized into two groups according to the disposition: discharge versus admission. The characteristics of the two groups were compared, and the factors associated with admission were investigated.
Results:
Among 25,070 ED visits, admissions were required in 5,963 patients (23.8%). The most frequent age group was the twenties (22.0%), and there were more males (74.7%) than females. Accidents occurred most in the summer (34.4%), and non-bicycle roads (73.5%) were the most common places. The most frequently injured body part was the head/neck (43.0%), followed by the upper extremities (21.5%). The odds for admission were lower in females than males (odds ratio [OR], 0.87; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.78-0.96). The odds for admission were higher in the age group over 40 years than in their twenties. Non-bicycle roads had higher odds for admission than bicycle roads (OR, 1.60; 95% CI, 1.40-1.83). Torso (OR, 2.17; 95% CI, 1.92-2.47), upper extremities (OR, 1.20; 95% CI, 1.07-1.35), and lower extremities (OR, 1.48; 95% CI, 1.31-1.66) had higher odds for admission than the head/neck.
Conclusion:
Male sex, old age group, accidents on non-bicycle roads, and torso/extremities injuries were associated with the admission in bicycle driver accidents.

Key words: Bicycling; Patient admission; Patient discharge