@article{ref1,
title="Epidemiological analysis of concussions in youth ice hockey players: a national emergency room database study",
journal="American journal of emergency medicine",
year="2023",
author="Abed, Varag and Hawk, Gregory S. and Akarakian, Roy and Stone, Austin V.",
volume="67",
number="",
pages="130-134",
abstract="PURPOSE: To evaluate the epidemiology of concussions in youth ice hockey players. <br><br>METHODS: The National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) database was used to gather data. Concussions occurring during ice hockey participation in youth patients (4-21 years old) from 2012 to 2021 was gathered. Concussion mechanisms were grouped into 7 categories: head-to-player, head-to-puck, head-to-ice, head-to-board/glass, head-to-stick, head-to-goal post, and unknown. Hospitalization rates were also tabulated. Linear regression models were used to assess changes in yearly concussion and hospitalization rates over the study period. <br><br>RESULTS from these models were reported using parameter estimates [with 95% confidence intervals (CI)] and the estimated Pearson correlation coefficient. Additionally, logistic regression was used to model the risk of hospitalization across the different cause categories. <br><br>RESULTS: A total of 819 ice hockey related concussions were analyzed between 2012 and 2021. The average age of our cohort was 13.4 years, with 89.3% (n = 731) of concussions occurring in males. The incidence of head-to-ice, head-to-board/glass, head-to-player, and head-to-puck concussion mechanisms decreased significantly over the study period (slope estimate = -2.1 concussions/year [CI: (-3.9, -0.2)], r = -0.675, p = 0.032), (slope estimate = -2.7 concussions/year [CI: (-4.3, -1.2)], r = -0.816, p = 0.004), (slope estimate = -2.2 concussions/year [CI: (-3.4, -1.0)], r = -0.832, p = 0.003), and (slope estimate = -0.4 concussions/year [CI: (-0.62, -0.09)], r = -0.768, p = 0.016), respectively. Majority of patients were discharged from the emergency department (ED) to their home, as only 20 people (2.4%) were hospitalized over our study period. The majority of concussions were due to head-to-ice (n = 285, 34.8%), followed by head-to-board/glass (n = 217, 26.5%) and head-to-player (n = 207, 25.3%). The most common cause for hospitalizations due to concussions was head-to-board/glass (n = 7, 35%), followed by head-to-player (n = 6, 30%) and head-to-ice (n = 5, 25%). <br><br>CONCLUSION: The most common mechanism of youth ice hockey concussions was head-to-ice in our 10-year study period, while head-to-board/glass was the most common cause of hospitalizations. IRB: This project did not require review by the institutional review board.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0735-6757",
doi="10.1016/j.ajem.2023.02.023",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ajem.2023.02.023"
}