This individual, a teenage male, was thrown out of a pickup truck after a motor vehicle accident. When he arrived to our emergency room, this was his assessment. His blood pressure and pulse were stable, although the pulse rate slightly elevated. He seemed to be confused (not coherent), although not unconscious. He had a scalp hematoma, and something was suspected to be wrong with his right wrist because of swelling and deformity. There were no focal neurological findings and nothing to definitely indicate an acute abdominal injury. However, he did seem to complain of back pain, at least he seemed to want to convey to the physicians that his back hurt. There was also some concern that his abdomen hurt. Apart from these findings, the physical examination was unremarkable. The events and scenarios pertaining to this patient’s accident are not unusual. Although many states have laws against individuals riding in the box of a pickup truck, people still ride in the back of pickup trucks. When involved in a motor vehicle accident, the individual seated in this place often is ejected out of the bed of the pickup truck onto the street. This is what happened to our patient. Usually, no one knows exactly what happens during and after such an ejection, and so one is presented with a patient having multiple and varied injuries. Indeed, all parts of the body become suspect. (Author/publisher)
Abstract