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Wheelchair-Related Accidents: Relationship With Wheelchair-Using Behavior in Active Community Wheelchair Users

By Chen, Wan-Yin; Jang, Yuh; Wang, Jung-Der; Huang, Wen-Ni; Chang, Chan-Chia; Mao, Hui-Fen; Wang, Yen-Ho; Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Volume 92, Number 6, pages 892-898
Publication Date: June 2011

Study was undertaken to document the prevalence, mechanisms, and consequences of accidents among active community wheelchair users, and to identify wheelchair using behaviors associated with the increased risk of such accidents. Participants were 95 experienced, community-dwelling, active manual and powered wheelchair users with a mean age of 44 years, 69 of whom were male. Over a 3-year period, 52 participants reported at least one accident, and 16 reported two or more accidents. Of a total of 74 accidents, 87.8 percent were tips and falls, 6.8 percent resulted from accidental contact, and 5.4 percent were the consequences of dangerous operations. Of the manual wheelchair accidents, 98 percent were tips and falls, while 33 percent of the powered wheelchair accidents were due to accidental contact and dangerous operations. Forty-one, or 55.4 percent, of the accidents resulted in some form of injury, although medical attention was not required for most injuries. A logistic regression found individuals who failed to maintain their wheelchairs regularly and used a wheelchair not prescribed by professionals had significantly greater risks of accidents. In addition to the risk factor of lack of regular wheelchair maintenance, the Poisson regression corroborated another risk factor, seat belts not used, for wheelchair related accidents. Study limitations and implications for future research are discussed.
Published by: W.B. Saunders Company, a division of Elsevier Health Sciences   (Website:http://us.elsevierhealth.com)

American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation    (Web Site: http://www.aapmr.org/ )
American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine    (Web Site: http://www.acrm.org )
This publication is included in the library of the National Rehabilitation Information Center (NARIC), accession number J61354
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