Citation

Harris AW, Jones CA, Rowe BH, Voaklander DC. J. Sci. Med. Sport 2012; 15(4): 298-304.

Affiliation

Alberta Centre for Injury Control and Research, Canada; School of Public Health, University of Alberta, Canada.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2012, Sports Medicine Australia, Publisher Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.jsams.2011.12.005

PMID

22244346

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To report the rates of SR-related HIs presenting to EDs in a Canadian population-based sample. DESIGN: Descriptive epidemiology study. METHODS: Using administrative data, sport and recreation-related emergency department presentations for persons 0-35 years of age, from April 1997 through March 2008, were obtained from the Edmonton Zone (formerly the Capital Health Region), Alberta Health Services through the Ambulatory Care Classification System. RESULTS: Of the 3,230,890 visits to the emergency departments of the five hospitals in Edmonton, 63,219 sport and recreation-related injury records and 4935 sport and recreation-head injury records were identified. Head injuries were most frequently treated for the activities of hockey (20.7%), cycling (12.0%), and skiing/snowboarding/sledding. Males accounted for 71.9% (n=3546) and patients less than 18 years of age sustained 3446 (69.8%) sport and recreation-head injuries. CONCLUSIONS: Sport and recreation-related head injuries most frequently treated in emergency departments involve common activities such as hockey, cycling, skiing/snowboarding/sledding, and soccer. Males and those less than 18 years of age sustain the majority of sport and recreation-related head injuries treated in emergency departments. These findings underscore the importance of sport-specific policies and safety promotion for the prevention of head injuries, in sports and recreational activities.

Language: en