Personal watercraft-related injuries. A growing public health concern
Abstract
CONTEXT: An increase in the recreational use of personal watercraft (PWC) raises concern about an increase in associated injuries on a national level.
OBJECTIVE: To estimate the relative frequency, types of injury, and demographic features of persons injured while using PWC in the United States.
DESIGN: Case series.
SETTING: Emergency department (ED) visits to hospitals participating a national probability sample.
PARTICIPANTS: All persons treated for PWC-related injury from January 1,1990, through December 31, 1995.
RESULTS: An estimated 32954 persons (95% confidence interval [CI], 22919-42989) with PWC-related injuries were treated in US hospital EDs, of which 3.5% were hospitalized. Personal watercraft-related injuries have increased significantly from an estimated 2860 in 1990 to more than 12000 in 1995. During this period, the number of PWC in operation increased 3-fold from approximately 241500 in 1990 to an estimated 760000 in 1995. The most prevalent diagnoses were lacerations, contusions, and fractures.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The estimated number and percentage of patients treated in EDs for PWC-related injuries, by year, age, sex, and the number and rate per 1000 of PWC in operation by year.
CONCLUSIONS: Since 1990, there has been at least a 4-fold increase in injuries associated with an increase in the recreational use of PWC. The rate of ED-treated injuries related to PWC was about 8.5 times higher (95% CI, 8.2-8.8; 1992 data) than the rate of those from…
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Evidence Hub reads this as a case series, done in people. Its evidence level is 5 of 5 (Very low · case / narrative / animal / in vitro / in silico). Case reports, narrative reviews, and animal, cell or computer-model studies give the weakest evidence for human health.
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