Border Injuries: An Analysis of Prehospital Demographics, Mechanisms, and Patterns of Injuries Encountered by USBP EMS Agents in the El Paso (Texas USA) Sector

Baker, Russell

doi:10.1017/s1049023x17006434

Cited by 10 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 2 publications

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“…These occupational exposures put them at risk of traumatic injury. The only documentation of border patrol injuries identified in the medical literature was 43 patients described by Baker 31 as part of a larger study evaluating United States Border Patrol Emergency Medical Services use in the El Paso Sector. These patients were a subset of 473 total patients described (9.1%) with both medical and traumatic complaints; injuries specific to the border patrol agents are not further detailed separate from the total population.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Within the El Paso Sector, those younger than 18 years make up 24% of USCBP emergency medical services encounters. 31 Even when unaccompanied children successfully make it across the border, they face issues with access to routine medical and mental health care; however, in the setting of cross-border trauma, access to emergency care is extremely limited and often not sought because of concerns for deportation or legal action. 44 While the true extent of pediatric cross-border trauma is unknown, a 10-year review looking at fatalities of Mexican and Central American children along the border in Pima County was published in 2008.…”

Section: Pediatric Traumamentioning

confidence: 99%

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Understanding the burden of traumatic injuries at the United States–Mexico border: A scoping review of the literature

Keller

Skubic

Betancourt-Garcia³

et al. 2023

J Trauma Acute Care Surg

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The US-Mexico border is the busiest land crossing in the world and faces continuously increasing numbers of undocumented border crossers. Significant barriers to crossing are present in many regions of the border, including walls, bridges, rivers, canals, and the desert, each with unique features that can cause traumatic injury. The number of patients injured attempting to cross the border is also increasing, but significant knowledge gaps regarding these injuries and their impacts remain. The purpose of this scoping literature review is to describe the current state of trauma related to the US-Mexico border to draw attention to the problem, identify knowledge gaps in the existing literature, and introduce the creation of a consortium made up of representatives from border trauma centers in the Southwestern United States, the Border Region Doing Research on Trauma Consortium. Consortium members will collaborate to produce multicenter up-to-date data on the medical impact of the US-Mexico border, helping to elucidate the true magnitude of the problem and shed light on the impact cross-border trauma has on migrants, their families, and the US health care system. Only once the problem is fully described can meaningful solutions be provided.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Pediatric Traumamentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding the burden of traumatic injuries at the United States–Mexico border: A scoping review of the literature

Keller

Skubic

Betancourt-Garcia³

et al. 2023

J Trauma Acute Care Surg

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“…Musculoskeletal fractures are described as the most common injury type in border crossing injuries sustained. 11 , 12 In a study evaluating patients from 2013 to 2019 at the California-Baja border, the most common injuries sustained were spine, pilon, and calcaneus fractures. 13 …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spine Injuries Sustained After Falls While Crossing the U.S.-Mexico Border

Riva,

Polmear,

Petersen

et al. 2024

Neurotrauma Reports

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This study is to report the demographics, incidence, and patterns of spinal injuries associated with border crossings resulting from a fall from a significant height. A retrospective cohort study was performed at a Level I trauma center from January 2016 to December 2021 to identify all patients who fell from a significant height while traversing the U.S.-Mexico border and were subsequently admitted. A total of 448 patients were identified. Of the 448 patients, 117 (26.2%) had spine injuries and 39 (33.3%) underwent operative fixation. Females had a significantly higher incidence of spine injuries (60% vs. 40%; p < 0.00330). Patients with a spine fracture fell from a higher median fall height (6.1 vs. 4.6 m; p < 0.001), which resulted in longer median length of stay (LOS; 12 vs. 7 days; p < 0.001), greater median Injury Severity Score (ISS; 20 vs. 9; p < 0.001), and greater relative risk (RR) of ISS >15 (RR = 3.2; p < 0.001). Patients with operative spine injuries had significantly longer median intensive care unit (ICU) LOS than patients with non-operative spine injuries (4 vs. 2 days; p < 0.001). Patients with spinal cord injuries and ISS >15 sustained falls from a higher distance (median 6.1 vs. 5.5 m) and had a longer length of ICU stay (median 3 vs. 0 days). All patients with operative spine injuries had an ISS >15 relative to 50% of patients with non-operative spine injuries (median ISS 20 vs. 15; p < 0.001). Patients with spine trauma requiring surgery had a higher incidence of head (RR = 3.5; p 0.0353) and chest injuries (RR = 6.0; p = 0.0238), but a lower incidence of lower extremity injuries (RR = 0.5; p < 0.001). Thoracolumbar injuries occurred in 68.4% of all patients with spine injuries. Patients with operative spine injuries had a higher incidence of burst fracture (RR = 15.5; p < 0.001) and flexion-distraction injury (RR = 25.7; p = 0.0257). All patients with non-operative spine injuries had American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) D or E presentations, and patients with operative spine injuries had a higher incidence of spinal cord injury: ASIA D or lower at time of presentation (RR = 6.3; p < 0.001). Falls from walls in border crossings result in significant injuries to the head, spine, long bones, and body, resulting in polytrauma casualties. Falls from higher height were associated with a higher frequency and severity of spinal injuries, greater ISS, and longer ICU length of stay. Operative spine injuries, compared with non-operative spine injuries, had longer ICU length of stay, greater ISS, and different fracture morphology. Spine surgeons and neurocritical care teams should be prepared to care for injuries associated with falls from height in this unique population.

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The prehospital management of ambulance-attended adults who fell: A scoping review

Watkins

Masters

Hill

et al. 2023

Australasian Emergency Care

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Border Injuries: An Analysis of Prehospital Demographics, Mechanisms, and Patterns of Injuries Encountered by USBP EMS Agents in the El Paso (Texas USA) Sector

Cited by 10 publications

References 2 publications

Understanding the burden of traumatic injuries at the United States–Mexico border: A scoping review of the literature

Understanding the burden of traumatic injuries at the United States–Mexico border: A scoping review of the literature

Spine Injuries Sustained After Falls While Crossing the U.S.-Mexico Border

The prehospital management of ambulance-attended adults who fell: A scoping review

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