NCHS data brief
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Key findings Data from the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, 2009-2010 In 2009-2010, an annual average of 11.9 million injury-related emergency department (ED) visits were made by children and adolescents aged 18 years and under in the United States. The injury-related ED visit rate was 151 per 1,000 persons aged 18 years and under, and rates were higher for males than for females for all age groups (0-4 years, 5-12 years, and 13-18 years). The injury-related ED visit rates among persons aged 5-12 years and 13-18 years were higher for non-Hispanic black persons than for other race and ethnicity groups. ⋯ The emergency department (ED) plays an important role in the care of injuries, and these visits often represent the initial contact with a provider for the injury (3). This report examines nationally representative data on injury-related ED visits by children and adolescents aged 18 years and under in the United States during 2009-2010. Injury-related ED visit rates were also compared for the age groups 0-4, 5-12, and 13-18 years, as these correspond to the preschool, school-age, and teen life periods respectively.