Consumer Product–Related Injuries in Athens, Ohio, 1980–85: Assessment of Emergency Room–Based Surveillance

Abstract

Using the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System of the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission, I computed the average annual rates per 1,000 population of consumer product-related injuries in residents of Athens County, Ohio, and seem at one hospital. These rates do not include intentional injuries or injuries to occupants of motor vehicles, to pedestrians hit by motor vehicles, or those occurring on the job or in house fires. Average annual rates for all injuries combined ranged from 102 per 1,000 boys 10-14 years of age to 11.7 per 1.000 men 65-74 years of age. For all males, the annual rate was 53 per 1,000 and for all females, 32 per 1,000. The most common parts of the body injured were the fingers (accounting for 15% of visits), face (12%), ankle (8.5%), hands (8%), and head (7.9%). The most common injury types were lacerations (33%), contusions and abrasions (22%), sprains (16%), and fractures (13%). Hospital admission rates varied by age, sex, type of injury, and part of body injured. Comparison of a sample of NEISS records to emergency room records showed that data were abstracted by clerical personnel with a high degree of accuracy. Review of fractures of the lower leg identified a cluster of injuries in young girls from playground merry-go-rounds. Review of burn injuries identified problems with scald injuries in young adult women and with eye injuries from welding in young men. The system can be used to evaluate injury control measures taken on a…