A 5-year-old male was a front-seat passenger in a minor motor vehicle crash. What is the most likely injury he may sustain due to airbag deployment?

In the context of minor motor vehicle crashes, particularly for children, understanding the mechanics of airbag deployment is key to recognizing potential injuries. Airbags are designed to deploy with significant force to mitigate injury during a collision. For a 5-year-old sitting in the front seat, this force is directed towards the chest area.

Pericardial contusions refer to bruising of the pericardium, the membrane surrounding the heart, which can occur when a child’s chest strikes the airbag during deployment. This is a serious injury that can arise from the violent collision of the chest against the deployed airbag, especially in smaller children whose anatomy makes them more vulnerable.

While facial lacerations may occur from secondary impacts or debris in a crash, and concussions from head impacts, the nature of airbag deployment specifically poses a greater risk for injuries related to the chest area in young children. Similarly, a fractured clavicle could result from an adult-sized airbag deploying in a smaller body, but pericardial contusions are a more likely injury in this scenario.