• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• 제28권2호
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• pp.60-66
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• 2015

Purpose: Cultivator accidents are frequent and often lead to abdomino-perineal organ injury and, if severe, to death. This study presents the clinical characteristics, outcomes, and factors associated with mortality in patients who sustained an abdomino-perineal organ injury in cultivator accidents. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the records of 53 patients who visited the emergency department of a tertiary hospital with abdomino-perineal organ injuries caused in cultivator accidents from April 2005 to March 2010. Results: All 53 patients had visited other medical institutions before visiting our hospital. Their mean age was $64.0{\pm}11.1$ (range, 20-80) years and 32 (60.4%) patients were 65 or older. The male-to-female ratio was 46:7. The chief complaint was abdominal pain (38 cases, 71.7%). The 53 patients included 41 cultivator operators (77.4%), 11 passengers (20.8%), and 1 passerby (1.9%). The causes of the injuries included a direct impact of the handlebar in 20 cases (37.7%), a rollover in 21 cases (39.6%), a fall in 10 cases (18.9%), and a wheel in two cases (3.8%). Several of the 53 patients had injuries to multiple abdomino-perineal organs, and the injured organs included the liver (23 cases, 26.4%), spleen (16 cases, 18.4%), pancreas (7 cases, 8.0%), small bowel (7 cases, 8.0%), mesentery (6 cases, 6.9%), adrenal gland (5 cases, 5.8%), and other organs. According to the abbreviated injury scale (AIS) dictionary, a thoracic injury was the most frequent co-injury (33 of 53 cases, 62.3%). Abdomino-perineal surgery was performed in 31 cases (58.8%) and angio-embolization was performed for six liver and two kidney injuries. Thirteen patients died (24.5%); all were males. The Injury Severity Scale (ISS) was lower in the survivors ($17.8{\pm}8.5$ vs. $27.0{\pm}16.0$; p=0.010). Conclusion: With the aging of agricultural workers, safety education programs should be implemented. Furthermore, the patient transfer system in agricultural areas must be improved.