The Incidence and Economic Burden of Injuries in the United States

Abstract

Injuries are one of the most serious public health problems facing the United States today. Through premature death, disability, medical cost, and lost productivity, injuries impact the health and welfare of all Americans. Deaths only begin to tell the story. Although many injuries are minor, a large proportion results in fractures, amputations, burns, or significant injuries that have far-reaching consequences. Now, for the first time in over fifteen years, there are comprehensive estimates of the impact of these injuries in economic terms. This book updates a landmark Report to Congress from 1989. Since that report, no undertaking has addressed the incidence and economic burden of injuries with more timely data, despite major changes in the fields of prevention, reporting and surveillance. Since the mid-eighties, new safety technologies have been developed to prevent injuries or to decrease the severity of injuries, and new policies and laws have been enacted to promote injury prevention. Chapter topics include incidence by detailed categorizations, lifetime medical costs, and productivity losses as a result of injuries, and a discussion of recent trends.