Abstract
Airbags have been shown to decrease morbidity and mortality associated with motor
vehicle accidents when used in conjunction with seat belts. Airbag deployment alone
however, has recently been implicated as a cause of significant thoracic injuries
to unrestrained drivers. Resulting injuries include major cardiovascular and pulmonary
complications. Airbags provide safety to occupants of cars and reduce mortality by
25%-30%. When not used in accordance with international standards, however, they can
cause serious injury. We searched online databases from 1970 to January 2013 and included
17 retrospective studies, 12 systematic review articles, 18 case reports, 5 prospective
studies, 1 lab study, 3 cohort studies, and 1 meta-analysis. Outcomes included clinical/functional
response, left ventricular remodelling, hospitalizations, and mortality. Physicians
must maintain a high index of suspicion for injury when evaluating drivers who were
not wearing seat belts when airbags deployed, regardless of the speed of the collision,
because increased risk of thoracic injury with airbags has been described in the literature.
Our review indicates that even new technology, specifically the side air bag, has
been associated with a risk of thoracic injury. Considering that regulations are a
driving force for airbag technology, further research and scrutiny by medical teams
is needed to consider the effects of airbag technology advancements on morbidity and
mortality rates of car accidents, to help in guiding further improvement, and to help
lawmakers in implementing rules that protect the safety of occupants.
Résumé
Il a été démontré que les coussins gonflables diminuent la morbidité et la mortalité
associées aux accidents d’automobile lorsqu’ils sont utilisés conjointement aux ceintures
de sécurité. Cependant, le seul déploiement du coussin gonflable a récemment été reconnu
comme ayant causé des blessures thoraciques importantes aux conducteurs qui ne bouclaient
pas leur ceinture. Les blessures subies comprennent des complications cardiovasculaires
et pulmonaires importantes. Les coussins gonflables assurent la sécurité des occupants
des voitures et réduisent la mortalité de 25 % à 30 %. Cependant, lorsqu’ils ne sont
pas utilisés selon les normes internationales, ils peuvent causer des blessures sérieuses.
Nous avons cherché des bases de données en ligne allant de 1970 à janvier 2013 et
avons inclus 17 études rétrospectives, 12 articles de revues systématiques, 18 observations,
5 études prospectives, 1 étude de laboratoire, 3 études de cohorte et 1 méta-analyse.
Les résultats incluaient la réponse clinique et la réponse fonctionnelle, le remodelage
ventriculaire gauche, les hospitalisations et la mortalité. Les médecins doivent maintenir
un indice élevé de suspicion de blessures lorsqu’ils évaluent des conducteurs qui
ne portaient pas leur ceinture lors du déploiement des coussins gonflables, quelle
que soit la vitesse au moment de la collision, puisque l’augmentation du risque de
blessures thoraciques liées aux coussins gonflables a été décrite dans la littérature.
Notre revue indique que même la nouvelle technologie, particulièrement les coussins
gonflables latéraux, a été associée à un risque de blessures thoraciques. Considérant
que la réglementation est le principal moteur de la technologie liée aux coussins
gonflables, d’autres recherches et études minutieuses doivent être réalisées par les
équipes médicales pour examiner les effets des avancées technologiques en matière
de coussins gonflables sur les taux de morbidité et de mortalité liés aux accidents
de voiture afin de contribuer à l’orientation des nouvelles améliorations et d’aider
les législateurs à mettre en place des règlements qui protègent la sécurité des occupants.
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: January 09, 2014
Accepted:
January 5,
2014
Received:
August 26,
2013
Footnotes
See page 402 for disclosure information.
Identification
Copyright
© 2014 Canadian Cardiovascular Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
