Latest news with #NationalElectronicInjurySurveillanceSystem
Medscape
a day ago
- Health
- Medscape
America's Favorite Sports Pose a Risk for Orbital Fractures
TOPLINE: Adolescents and men in the US faced a notable burden of orbital fractures and associated ocular injuries from sports such as baseball, softball, and bicycling, underscoring the need for protective glasses and clear safety rules — as well as the strict enforcement — of these regulations to prevent loss of sight during athletic activities. METHODOLOGY: Researchers analyzed data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System from 2014 to 2023 to understand how often individuals suffered from orbital fractures while playing sports in the US. They looked up the database for cases of facial fractures linked to sports, excluding those involving motor vehicles, and reviewed trauma narratives specific to orbital fractures; records of individuals younger than 5 years were not analyzed. The national estimates of orbital fractures were calculated, and details such as the age of the patients, the type of sport played, the location of the fracture, and the frequency of associated ocular injuries were evaluated. TAKEAWAY: This study identified 1468 cases of orbital fractures stemming from sports, corresponding to an estimated 49,765 cases (95% CI, 47,219-52,311) nationwide; the incidence of these injuries remained largely stable throughout the study period. The study population had a mean age of 27.1 years, with men comprising 79% of cases, and the highest frequency of sports-related orbital fractures observed among those aged 10-19 years. Baseball (28.6%), bicycling (23.1%), and softball (6.7%) were the most frequently implicated sports in orbital fractures; most cases of orbital fractures (56.9%) were linked to activities in which participants were required to come into bodily contact with one another. An analysis of narratives specific to orbital fractures revealed that the orbital floor was the most commonly fractured site, accounting for 59.8% of cases; about 14% of patients sustained injuries to the eye or surrounding areas, most often cuts to the eyelid, scratches or cuts to the cornea, cuts to the eyebrow, and bleeding beneath the conjunctival membrane. IN PRACTICE: 'The sustained rates of orbital fractures highlight a critical gap in sporting protective equipment and emphasize the importance of adopting protective equipment specifically designed for orbital injury prevention, including face shields and protective eyewear,' the researchers reported. 'The findings presented here, coupled with evidence that properly fitted protective eyewear or face shields can reduce the risk of ocular injuries by 90%, emphasize the crucial role of eye protection in sports,' they added. SOURCE: This study was led by Niloufar Bineshfar, MD, of the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine in Miami. It was published online on June 21, 2025, in Ophthalmology. LIMITATIONS: Some injuries may not have been reported or may have been labeled incorrectly, causing inaccuracy in the incidence rates for orbital fractures and related eye injuries. No details were available on the severity of the injuries, how people healed over time, or what care they received. Since injuries to other parts of the body were noted only from 2019 onward, some damage to the eye before that date may have been missed. DISCLOSURES: This study was funded by the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute and a Research to Prevent Blindness Unrestricted Grant. The authors reported having no relevant conflicts of interest. This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.
USA Today
2 days ago
- Health
- USA Today
Fireworks injuries were way up last year. How to protect yourself this year.
A sharp spike in the number of fireworks-related injuries last year sparked renewed warnings from the nation's top consumer safety watchdog as fireworks usage increases around July 4th revelry. The Consumer Product Safety Commission published its annual report showing a 38% increase in deaths and a 52% increase in injuries last year over the totals reported in 2023. Adults ages 25 to 44 made up 32% of the total injuries, followed by people ages 15 to 24 (24%). 'Behind these numbers are real people, real families ‒ and often, preventable incidents,' CPSC Acting Chairman Peter Feldman said in a statement. 'Fireworks injuries don't just happen on the Fourth of July. We urge everyone to celebrate responsibly ‒ because safety must always come first.' Fireworks present dangers of physical injury, particularly to the hands and face, and environmental concerns in drier areas of the country. Stressed out: How to keep your pets calm during Fourth of July fireworks Alternatives to fireworks: Drone light shows turn night skies into a canvas. Why you don't want to miss them How many people were injured or killed by fireworks in 2024? Last year, fireworks accounted for more than 14,700 injuries, roughly 20% of which required hospitalization. Of the total injuries, roughly 1,700 were burns resulting from the use of sparklers. The spike in 2024 abruptly halted what had been a three-year decline in the number of reported fireworks injuries but still fell short of the record 15,600 injuries recorded in 2020 at the height of lockdowns stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. Of the 11 deaths that occurred in 2024, all were said to have followed either misuse of fireworks or malfunctions. At least four of the fatalities were attributed to victims reportedly placing mortars on top of their heads. What body parts are commonly injured by fireworks? In the 2024 study period, which ran from June 16 to July 16, hand and finger injuries made up 36% of total fireworks injuries, but more than half of the 3,171 injuries that resulted in emergency room visits. Injuries above the shoulders ‒ eyes, ears, face and head ‒ accounted for a combined 37% of total injuries but less than a quarter (22%) of the injuries that required hospitalization. U.S. fireworks sales, 1998 to 2024 According to figures from the American Pyrotechnics Association, U.S. spending on consumer-grade fireworks remained at $2.2 billion last year, while spending on professional display fireworks continued growth from the 2020 low caused by the pandemic when public gatherings were limited. SOURCES 2024 Fireworks Annual Report, The American Fireworks Standards Laboratory; National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS), U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission; American Pyrotechnics Association
Axios
23-06-2025
- Health
- Axios
Accidental death data threatened by Trump CDC cuts
The CDC center that provides a window into how Americans are accidentally killed could see much of its work zeroed out under the Trump administration 2026 budget after it was hit hard by staff cuts this spring. Why it matters: Unintentional injuries are the leading cause of death for Americans younger than 45, and the data the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control churns on fatal car accidents, drug overdose deaths, firearm injuries and even dog bites help inform public health strategies. The Trump budget targets the CDC with more than $3.5 billion in proposed cuts and lists the injury center under "duplicative, DEI or simply unnecessary programs" that can be conducted more effectively by states. Where things stand: The center was hit by layoffs under HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s reorganization of federal health agencies, losing about 200 staffers in April who primarily worked on violence prevention and unintentional injuries. That crippled key data repositories, such as a web-based injury statistics system called WISQAR and the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS), with few data scientists and other technicians left to crunch the numbers, current employees and advocates say. "Those are existing in name only from here on, because the staff who have the expertise and the know-how and the access to the databases and all of that were RIF'd," Sharon Gilmartin, executive director of the Safe States Alliance, told Axios. Trump's 2026 budget request would eliminate funding for both data repositories and the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS). Between the lines: Also potentially at risk is the CDC's federal surveillance report of drowning statistics, which found the number of drowning deaths among kids 4 and younger increased 28% during the pandemic, between 2019 and 2022. That information revealed COVID-era patterns, such as kids spending more time at home or distracted parents juggling remote work with child care, that may have increased their risk, Katie Adamson, vice president of health partnerships and policy for YMCA, told Axios. That kind of data, as well as $5 million in funding for drowning prevention programs such as swimming lessons, from groups like the YMCA, has been cut. "Why wouldn't the federal government have a role in [addressing] the leading cause of death in our babies?" Adamson said. The cuts extend beyond the CDC to grantees around the country who use the data to implement prevention strategies, said one CDC official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the press. Among the uses of funding specifically eliminated in the president's budget is money for a network of 11 Injury Control Research Centers at universities around the country that assist in researching the most efficient prevention programs based on the data collected by the CDC. The work includes a University of Michigan study of the effectiveness of anonymous tip lines at schools. Over four years, it identified more than 1,000 opportunities for mental health intervention, with dozens of weapons recovered from schools and several students with school shooting plans. "The return on investment for preventing these kinds of injuries and deaths is enormous," the official said. "If you care about saving dollars, you should be investing in the kind of work that the CDC injury center has historically done. It's not duplicative, it's unique." The other side: HHS has indicated plans for some of the work would be transferred within the planned Administration for a Healthy America. "HHS and CDC remain firmly committed to maintaining the availability of high-quality public health data essential to injury prevention and response nationwide," an HHS spokesman said. "As part of Secretary Kennedy's broader vision to streamline HHS operations and improve government efficiency, the CDC's critical work will continue to inform data-driven strategies that protect the health and safety of the American people." Yes, but: It's not that easy to just shift the work of the injury center and its complex data infrastructure, including laboratory work and response work, to another agency, the CDC official said. "Everybody's really worried around here. We've already lost the world's experts in a lot of these topics and a lot of incredible work in every one of these areas. It's not easy to just turn that back on or rebuild," the CDC official said.
Reuters
16-04-2025
- Health
- Reuters
Exclusive: US consumer safety agency to stop collecting swaths of data after CDC cuts
Summary Data on injuries from car accidents, alcohol, and other incidents will no longer be collected The change, coming Friday, stems from CDC staff cuts April 16 (Reuters) - The U.S. consumer product safety agency will stop collecting data on injuries from incidents like car accidents and adverse drug effects due to staff cuts at the CDC, according to an agency email seen by Reuters and a source familiar with the situation. The 47-year-old National Electronic Injury Surveillance System collects data from a representative sample of 100 hospital emergency departments across the country. here. Injury is the leading cause of death for Americans under 45 years old, and data from NEISS informs product recalls, safety standards and other public policy to prevent injuries and deaths. The change is another disruption caused by President Donald Trump's elimination of 10,000 jobs at the Department of Health and Human Services, led by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., which has upended public health research and the agency's bird flu response and drug review system. HHS has said another 10,000 people left voluntarily. On Friday, the Consumer Product Safety Commission will stop collecting data on injuries from motor vehicle crashes, falls, alcohol, adverse drug effects, aircraft incidents, work-related injuries, and other incidents through NEISS, according to the source. The change will reduce the program's data collection by 20% to 65%, the source said. The CPSC did not respond to a request for comment. For its first 22 years, NEISS collected data only on injuries linked to specific products, like lawn mowers or household chemicals. In 2000, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention entered into an agreement with CPSC to expand the data collection to other types of incidents, in an effort called the All Injury Program. The AIP is ending because of firings at CDC, according to an email sent to participating hospitals and data contractors on April 11. "Unfortunately, due to the recent reductions-in-force and budget cuts across CDC's National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, the AIP supported portion of the NEISS is coming to an end very quickly," the email said. "This will be an abrupt transition as CPSC does not have the resources to wind down AIP in an orderly and structured manner," the email said. Some of the data collected by the NEISS-AIP program is also gathered in some form by other agencies, like the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration or the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. But the NEISS-AIP data can be more comprehensive because it captures injuries at the hospital level, said the source.
Forbes
10-04-2025
- Automotive
- Forbes
Stay Safe On An Electric Bike When Taking Your Next Vacation
Actress-producer-comedian Goldie Hawn rides through Los Angeles on an electric bicycle in 2018. (Photo by BG004/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images) GC Images The popularity of electric bicycles on vacations is soaring, as vacationers rent them or bring their own to a destination. A study by researchers at UC San Francisco reminds vacationers and all electric vehicle users to always keep safety in mind. Revenue in the e-bike market in the United States is forecasted to reach nearly $2.2 billion this year, according to Statista data. An annual growth rate of 13% is expected through 2029, when e-bike revenues are forecasted to reach $3.6 billion. In 2022, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, 1.1 million e-bikes were sold in America — nearly four times the number sold in 2019. While e-bike usage rapidly increased, the number of injuries to riders of e-bikes and electric scooters increased substantially, UC San Francisco researchers found. Their study was published last year in JAMA Network Open, a monthly journal of the American Medical Association. E-bicycle injuries doubled each year 2017-2022, while e-scooter injuries annually rose 45%. The researchers analyzed injuries and hospitalizations from electric bicycles, electric scooters, conventional bicycles and conventional scooters, using data from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's National Electronic Injury Surveillance System. 'The U.S. had a remarkable increase in micromobility injuries during the study period,' said co-author Adrian Fernandez, a doctor in the UCSF Department of Urology. 'This increase in accidents not only introduced a demographic shift but also underscores an urgent need for added safety measures. There are undeniable health and environmental benefits to micromobility vehicle use, but structural changes must be taken to promote safe riding.' Tourists visiting San Francisco, California, ride their rented electric scooters down Market Street. (Photo by) Getty Images The study found that injured e-riders were slightly older in age and wore helmets less often than riders of nonelectric bicycles and scooters. Electric vehicle users also were more likely to ride while intoxicated. E-scooter riders were more likely to sustain internal injuries than nonelectric scooter riders, the study determined, while upper extremity injuries were more common among nonelectric-vehicle riders. Electric scooters and bicycles can travel up to 28 miles per hour but are increasingly dangerous, 'especially in the hands of novices,' the study said. E-bicycle injuries dramatically increased from 751 in 2017 to 23,493 in 2022, and e-scooter injuries rose from 8,566 to 56,847 during that timeframe, the UC San Francisco researchers found. The median age was 39 for injured e-bicyclists, compared to 30 for those injured on nonelectric bikes. The median age for injured e-scooter riders was 30, compared to 11 for riders of nonelectric scooters. 'As micromobility vehicles become more embedded in our daily lives, understanding and addressing the safety challenges they pose is critical,' said Benjamin Breyer, a doctor and a study co-author who is the chair of the UCSF Department of Urology. 'This not only involves adapting our urban landscapes but also fostering a culture of safety among riders.'
