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Injuries Related to Snow Blowers in the United States: 2002 Through 2008
Author(s) -
Hammig Bart,
Jones Ches
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
academic emergency medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.221
H-Index - 124
eISSN - 1553-2712
pISSN - 1069-6563
DOI - 10.1111/j.1553-2712.2010.00730.x
Subject(s) - medicine , emergency department , incidence (geometry) , injury prevention , occupational safety and health , injury surveillance , suicide prevention , poison control , medical emergency , snow , emergency medicine , human factors and ergonomics , public health , environmental health , psychiatry , nursing , physics , pathology , meteorology , optics
Objectives: The objective was to examine injuries related to the use of a snow blower among patients treated in an emergency department (ED). Methods: Data were obtained from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) for the years 2002–2008. National estimates of ED visits for injuries associated with the use of a snow blower were obtained, and descriptive epidemiologic characteristics assessed. Results: From 2002 through 2008, there were an estimated 32,307 ED visits for injuries related to the use of a snow blower in the United States. Older adults had a higher proportion of ED visits for such injuries than younger age groups. The majority of injuries involved injuries to the hand, with 42% of cases diagnosed with fractures and 20% resulting in amputations. Conclusions: Findings indicate that injuries from snow blowers remain a public health problem. Efforts to reduce injury incidence are discussed in accordance with inherent challenges of prevention of injuries associated with these products. ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE 2010; 17:566–569 © 2010 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine