Sept. 2, 2004 -- Eighteen people in the U.S. die every hour due to injuries,
Sept. 2, 2004 -- Eighteen people in the U.S. die every hour due to injuries, according to the first national report on fatal and nonfatal injuries issued today by the CDC.
The report shows accidental or unintentional injuries are the fifth leading cause of death in the U.S. and responsible for sending one of every three people to the emergency room for treatment.
Nearly 30 million people were treated in U.S. emergency rooms for nonfatal injuries in 2001, and 1.6 million of those were later hospitalized or transferred for specialized care as a result of their injury.
Those traffic accidents, falls, and other injuries add up to a price tag of about $117 billion in medical care costs each year.
Injuries Affect All Ages
Overall, the report shows that motor-vehicle accidents were the leading cause of fatal injuries and unintentional falls were the leading cause of nonfatal injuries treated in emergency rooms in 2001.
Although accidental injuries affect all age groups, researchers say injuries affect the young and the old disproportionately.
Among adults over 65, fall-related injuries accounted for 62% of unintentional injuries treated in emergency rooms, and the death rate from falls is five times higher among adults over 75 than in any other age group.
For young children aged 1-4 years, drowning was the No. 1 cause of injury deaths, accounting for one in four of the injury-related deaths in this age group.
Men Face Higher Injury Risks
The report also shows that men were more than two-and-a-half-times more likely to suffer a fatal injury than women and 30% more likely to suffer a nonfatal injury.
Researchers found men were nearly twice as likely to die as a result of a motor vehicle accident, and the risk was highest among men aged 15-24.
Young men aged 20-24 also had the highest homicide rate and the highest nonfatal assault rate compared with all other age groups, and more than 80% of homicides involved a firearm.
How to Prevent Injuries
Researchers say the report shows that Americans can do more to protect themselves and reduce the risk of injury in their everyday lives, such as:
- Wearing a safety belt when riding in a car
- Not drinking and driving
- Using safety gear during sports activities
- Resolving conflicts peacefully rather than with violence
- Removing hazards in the home that may cause a fall
