• Bart Hammig and Ches Jones.
• Department of Health, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA. bhammig@uark.edu
• Acad Emerg Med. 2010 May 1; 17 (5): 566-9.

ObjectivesThe objective was to examine injuries related to the use of a snow blower among patients treated in an emergency department (ED).MethodsData were obtained from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) for the years 2002-2008. National estimates of ED visits for injuries associated with the use of a snow blower were obtained, and descriptive epidemiologic characteristics assessed.ResultsFrom 2002 through 2008, there were an estimated 32,307 ED visits for injuries related to the use of a snow blower in the United States. Older adults had a higher proportion of ED visits for such injuries than younger age groups. The majority of injuries involved injuries to the hand, with 42% of cases diagnosed with fractures and 20% resulting in amputations.ConclusionsFindings indicate that injuries from snow blowers remain a public health problem. Efforts to reduce injury incidence are discussed in accordance with inherent challenges of prevention of injuries associated with these products.

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