Disruptive behaviour disorders in male teenagers associated with increased risk of road crashes

Press release from PLoS Medicine

2010-11-16

(Press-News.org) Disruptive behaviour disorders in male teenagers, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, conduct disorder, and oppositional defiant disorder are associated with about a one-third increase in the risk of being seriously injured in a road traffic crash – either as driver or pedestrian. This increase is similar to the increased relative risk found for patients treated for epilepsy. These are the findings of a study by Donald Redelmeier and colleagues from the University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada, and published in this week's PLoS Medicine. Male teenagers are the single most risky population group of drivers, with twice the collision rate of the general population, despite low amounts of driving and good general health.

The authors conducted a 7-year study in Ontario, Canada, of consecutive males aged between 16 years and 19 years who were admitted to hospital as the result of a road traffic crash and those who were admitted to the same hospitals during the same time interval for appendicitis. During the study period, 3421 male teenagers were admitted to hospital as the result of a road traffic crash and 3812 male teenagers were admitted to hospital for appendicitis. A history of disruptive behaviour disorders was more frequent among male teenagers admitted for road traffic crashes than controls (767 of 3421 v 664 of 3812) giving an odds ratio of 1.37. This higher risk was still present after the authors took factors such as age, social status and home location into account.

This study did not document who was "at fault"; hence, perhaps behavioural disorders impair a teenager's ability to avoid a mishap initiated by someone else. The authors stress that their results do not justify withholding a driver's license. Instead, the authors suggest that disruptive behaviour disorders could be considered as contributors to road traffic crashes—similar to epilepsy, diabetes, and some other medical diseases. The authors conclude: "Greater attention by primary care physicians, psychiatrists, and community health workers might be helpful since practical recommendations might reduce the risk." Specific recommendations include avoiding excess speed, restricting alcohol, minimizing other distractions as well as using seatbelts, keeping distance from other vehicles, and obeying medical advice.

INFORMATION: Funding: This project was supported by the Canada Research Chair in Medical Decision Sciences and the University of Toronto Comprehensive Research Experience for Medical Students program. The funding organizations had no role in the design and conduct of the study; collection, management, analysis, and interpretation of the data; and preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript.

Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Citation: Redelmeier DA, Chan WK, Lu H (2010) Road Trauma in Teenage Male Youth with Childhood Disruptive Behavior Disorders: A Population Based Analysis. PLoS Med 7(11): e1000369. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1000369

IN YOUR COVERAGE PLEASE USE THIS URL TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO THE FREELY AVAILABLE PAPER: http://www.plosmedicine.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pmed.1000369

PRESS-ONLY PREVIEW OF THE ARTICLE: http://www.plos.org/press/plme-07-11-redelmeier.pdf

CONTACT:

Donald Redelmeier
University of Toronto
416-480-6999
dar@ices.on.ca

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Analysis of teeth suggests modern humans mature more slowly than Neanderthals did

2010-11-16

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- A sophisticated new examination of teeth from 11 Neanderthal and early human fossils shows that modern humans are slower than our ancestors to reach full maturity. The finding suggests that our characteristically slow development and long childhood are recent and unique to our own species, and may have given early humans an evolutionary advantage over Neanderthals. The research, led by scientists at Harvard University, the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology (MPI-EVA), and the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF), is detailed in ...

'At-TRIB(1)-uting' a gene a new function in the liver

2010-11-16

Specific, relatively uncommon variations at a region of human chromosome 8 have recently been linked to fat (lipid) levels in the blood that decrease an individual's risk of atherosclerosis (a disease of the major arterial blood vessels that is a main cause of heart attack and stroke). The only currently described gene in this region of chromosome 8 is TRIB1, but it has not been previously linked in any way to regulation of lipid levels. Now, a team of researchers, led by Jan Breslow, at The Rockefeller University, New York, and Daniel Rader, at the University of Pennsylvania ...

JCI online early table of contents: Nov. 15, 2010

2010-11-16

EDITOR'S PICK: At-TRIB(1)-uting a gene a new function in the liver Specific, relatively uncommon variations at a region of human chromosome 8 have recently been linked to fat (lipid) levels in the blood that decrease an individual's risk of atherosclerosis (a disease of the major arterial blood vessels that is a main cause of heart attack and stroke). The only currently described gene in this region of chromosome 8 is TRIB1, but it has not been previously linked in any way to regulation of lipid levels. Now, a team of researchers, led by Jan Breslow, at The Rockefeller ...

Health professionals need to take action on water and sanitation issues

2010-11-16

The active involvement of health professionals in hygiene, sanitation, and water supply is absolutely crucial to accelerating and consolidating global health progress, says a new series of papers in PLoS Medicine by a leading group of public health academics and water advocates. Professor Sandy Cairncross from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and colleagues show how water and sanitation issues are woefully neglected across the world and suggest that action could prevent more than 2 million children dying each year. The authors say that in 2010, ...

Use of AEDs in hospitals for cardiac arrest not linked with improved survival

2010-11-16

While automated external defibrillators improve survival for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, an analysis of data indicates their use for cardiac arrest in a hospital does not result in an improved rate of survival, according to a study in the November 17 issue of JAMA. The study is being released early online because it will be presented at the American Heart Association's annual meeting. Use of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) has been proposed as a strategy to reduce times to defibrillation and improve survival from cardiac arrests that occur in the hospital ...

Common for patients to undergo multiple cardiac imaging tests, with high cumulative radiation dose

2010-11-16

Multiple testing with the cardiac diagnostic imaging technique of myocardial perfusion imaging is common, and in many patients is associated with a high cumulative estimated radiation dose, according to a study in the November 17 issue of JAMA. The study is being released early online because it is being presented at the American Heart Association's annual meeting. Use of medical imaging has grown rapidly in recent years, but along with the potential benefits has come an increase in the amount of ionizing radiation associated with many such tests and the accompanying ...

Biomarker may be able to help predict risk of heart failure, cardiovascular death

2010-11-16

Certain measures of the blood biomarker cardiac troponin T (cTnT), a cardiac-specific protein, using a highly sensitive test, are associated with the development of heart failure or cardiovascular death in older adults, according to a study that will appear in the December 8 issue of JAMA. The study is being released early online because it will be presented at the American Heart Association's annual meeting. "Older adults comprise the majority of new-onset heart failure (HF) diagnoses, but traditional risk-factor prediction models have limited accuracy in this population ...

Surgical instruments left in children rarely fatal, but dangerous

2010-11-16

Surgical items, such as sponges and small instruments, left in the bodies of children who undergo surgery are quite uncommon and rarely fatal but decidedly dangerous and expensive mistakes, according to a Johns Hopkins Children's Center study to be published in the November issue of JAMA-Archives of Surgery. Such errors added eight days, on average, to a young patient's hospital stay and nearly $36,000 in extra hospital charges, both stemming from complications and the need for follow-up surgery to retrieve the forgotten objects. Analyzing more than 1.9 million records ...

Use of omega-3 does not appear to reduce recurrence of atrial fibrillation

2010-11-16

Although some data have suggested that omega-3 fatty acid supplements, such as from fish oil, may improve treatment of atrial fibrillation, a randomized trial with more than 600 patients finds that treatment with high-dose prescription omega-3 did not reduce the recurrence of atrial fibrillation over six months, according to a study that will appear in the December 1 issue of JAMA. The study is being released early online because it will be presented at the American Heart Association's annual meeting. "Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a highly prevalent disease that is responsible ...

New research reveals danger of combining warfarin with herbal and dietary supplements

2010-11-16

SALT LAKE CITY – Herbal and dietary supplements are popular. People claim they make their joints feel better, their bones stronger, and their hearts healthier. But a recent study by researchers at the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute in Salt Lake City shows that many of these people may not realize their favorite supplement, mixed with prescription medications, may be putting their lives in danger, especially if they are taking warfarin – a blood-thinning medication commonly prescribed to patients living with atrial fibrillation to lower their risk of stroke. Researchers ...

Labor market immigrants moving to Germany are less likely to make their first choice of residence in regions where xenophobic attitudes, measured by right-wing party support and xenophobic violence, a

Lots of screentime in toddlers is linked with worse language skills, but educational content and screen use accompanied by adults might help, per study across 19 Latin American countries

Disruptive behaviour disorders in male teenagers associated with increased risk of road crashes

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES: