Injury epidemiology
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Injury epidemiology · Aug 2020
Medication use and driving patterns in older drivers: preliminary findings from the LongROAD study.
The potential for impaired driving due to medication use can occur at any age, though older adults are more likely to take multiple prescribed medications and experience side effects that may affect driving ability. The purpose of this study was to characterize the relationship between medications and driving safety behaviors. ⋯ Older adult drivers are taking large quantities of prescription and non-prescription medications that may affect their driving safety. Certain medication classes are associated with potentially adverse driving patterns, such as speeding and rapid decelerations, while others are associated with potentially protective maneuvers, such as right hand turning. Further research is warranted to identify and mitigate potential adverse effects of such medications on driving safety in older adults.
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Injury epidemiology · Jun 2020
Bike helmets prevent pediatric head injury in serious bicycle crashes with motor vehicles.
Approximately 75% of all bicycle-related mortality is secondary to head injuries, 85% of which could have been prevented by wearing a bicycle helmet. Younger children appear to be at greater risk than adults, yet helmet use is low despite this risk and legislation and ordinances requiring helmet use among younger riders. We sought to determine whether bicycle helmets are associated with the incidence and severity of head injury among pediatric bicyclists involved in a bicycle crash involving a motor vehicle. ⋯ Bicycle helmet use was associated with reduced odds of head injury and severity of injury.. These results support the use of strategies to increase the uptake of bicycle helmets wearing as part of a comprehensive youth bicycling injury prevention program.
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Injury epidemiology · Jun 2020
Evaluating teen driving knowledge and behaviors following educational outreach.
Teen driving educational events are an effective strategy to increase adolescent drivers' awareness of safe driving practices. The objectives of this study were to evaluate changing rates of self-reported driving practices and knowledge of the state Graduated Driver Licensing laws (GDL) by teens over a nine-year period in a single state. ⋯ Results are encouraging that participants in 2018 report more use of seatbelts, less texting while driving, less drinking while driving and lower numbers of being in MVC than in 2009. However, rates of high-risk driving behaviors are still concerning.
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Injury epidemiology · Oct 2018
The epidemiology of firearm injuries managed in US emergency departments.
Firearm-related injuries cause significant morbidity and mortality in the United States (US), consuming resources and fueling political and public health discourse. Most analyses of firearm injuries are based on fatality statistics. Here, we describe the epidemiology of firearm injuries presenting to US emergency departments (EDs). ⋯ Firearm injuries increased from 2009 to 2012, driven by adults aged 18-to-44-years-old, and disproportionately impacting lower socioeconomic communities. Injuries also increased among young children. Firearm injuries remain a continued public health challenge, and a significant source of ED morbidity and mortality.
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Injury epidemiology · Oct 2018
Interrupted time series design to evaluate the effect of the ICD-9-CM to ICD-10-CM coding transition on injury hospitalization trends.
Implementation of the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) in the U.S. on October 1, 2015 was a significant policy change with the potential to affect established injury morbidity trends. This study used data from a single state to demonstrate 1) the use of a statistical method to estimate the effect of this coding transition on injury hospitalization trends, and 2) interpretation of significant changes in injury trends in the context of the structural and conceptual differences between ICD-9-CM and ICD-10-CM, the new ICD-10-CM-specific coding guidelines, and proposed ICD-10-CM-based framework for reporting of injuries by intent and mechanism. Segmented regression analysis was used for statistical modeling of interrupted time series monthly data to evaluate the effect of the transition to ICD-10-CM on Kentucky hospitalizations' external-cause-of-injury completeness (percentage of records with principal injury diagnoses supplemented with external-cause-of-injury codes), as well as injury hospitalization trends by intent or mechanism, January 2012-December 2017. ⋯ The CDC 's Proposed Framework for Presenting Injury Data Using ICD-10-CM External Cause of Injury Codes provided a logical transition from the ICD-9-CM-based matrix on injury hospitalization trends by intent and mechanism. Our findings are intended to raise awareness that changes in the ICD-10-CM coding system must be understood to assure accurate interpretation of injury trends.