Golf cart-related neurosurgical injuries

Background: Head and spine injuries sustained following golf cart accidents have been rarely analyzed. This study aimed to describe a series of patients sustaining golf cart injuries requiring neurosurgical management for head or spine injuries. Methods: The University of Puerto Rico Neurosurgery database was used to retrospectively identify and investigate patients who sustained a golf cart-related injury requiring a neurosurgical evaluation during 15 years. Results: The analysis identified 25 patients with golf cart-related injuries requiring neurosurgical management with a median age of 16 (interquartile range 13–34). Seventeen patients (68%) were female. The primary mechanism of injury was ejection from the cart in 84% of the patients (n = 21). The most frequent head injury was a skull fracture in 80% of patients (n = 20). Intracranial hemorrhage was present in 76% of patients (n = 19), with brain contusions (n = 16, 64%) being the most common. Eighteen patients (72%) were admitted for surgery or neurological monitoring. The median hospital length of stay among hospitalized patients was 5.5 days. Ten patients (40%) were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) with a median stay of 8.5 days. Four patients (16%) required surgery for their injuries. At discharge, 80% of patients (n = 20) had a good outcome. Conclusion: This study showed that children and adolescents are at high risk for golf cart-related neurosurgical injuries. This form of transportation can produce considerable neurological injuries, the primary mechanism of injury being ejection from the cart. Approximately three-quarters of the patients need hospital admission, with half requiring an ICU stay.