US emergency department visits for fireworks injuries, 2006–2010

• Published in: The Journal of surgical research Vol. 190; no. 1; pp. 305 - 311
• Main Authors: Canner, Joseph K., MHS, Haider, Adil H., MD, MPH, Selvarajah, Shalini, MD, MPH, Hui, Xuan, MD, ScM, Wang, Han, MD, MPH, Efron, David T., MD, Haut, Elliott R., MD, Velopulos, Catherine G., MD, Schwartz, Diane A., MD, Chi, Albert, MD, Schneider, Eric B., PhD
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01-07-2014
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Blast Injuries - epidemiology; Child; Emergency department; Emergency Service, Hospital - statistics & numerical data; Female; Fireworks; Humans; Injury; Male; Middle Aged; NEDS; Surgery; Time Factors; United States - epidemiology; United States; NEDS; Emergency department; Injury; Fireworks
• ISSN: 0022-4804; 1095-8673
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jss.2014.03.066

Abstract Background Most literature regarding fireworks injuries are from outside the United States, whereas US-based reports focus primarily on children and are based on datasets which cannot provide accurate estimates for subgroups of the US population. Methods The 2006–2010 Nationwide Emergency Department Sample was used to identify patients with fireworks injury using International Classification of Diseases , Ninth Revision , Clinical Modification external cause of injury code E923.0. International Classification of Diseases , Ninth Revision , Clinical Modification diagnosis codes were examined to determine the mechanism, type, and location of injury. Sampling weights were applied during analysis to obtain US population estimates. Results There were 25,691 emergency department visits for fireworks-related injuries between 2006 and 2010. There was no consistent trend in annual injury rates during the 5-y period. The majority of visits (50.1%) were in patients aged <20 y. Most injuries were among males (76.4%) and were treated in hospitals in the Midwest and South (42.0% and 36.4%, respectively) than in the West and Northeast (13.3% and 8.3%, respectively) census regions. Fireworks-related injuries were most common in July (68.1%), followed by June (8.3%), January (6.6%), December (3.4%), and August (3.1%). The most common injuries (26.7%) were burns of the wrist, hand, and finger, followed by contusion or superficial injuries to the eye (10.3%), open wounds of the wrist, hand, and finger (6.5%), and burns of the eye (4.6%). Conclusions Emergency department visits for fireworks injuries are concentrated around major national holidays and are more prevalent in certain parts of the country and among young males. This suggests that targeted interventions may be effective in combating this public health problem.