Injury Prevention Injury Prevention OverviewOverview

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Injury Prevention OverviewInjury Prevention Overview

Extent of the injury problemExtent of the injury problem

Science of injury preventionScience of injury prevention

Ways to help your patients Ways to help your patients and communitiesand communities

ResourcesResources

Injuries are not “accidents”Injuries are not “accidents”

Unintentional injuries Unintentional injuries are the leading cause are the leading cause of death and of death and hospitalization from hospitalization from ages 1 through 44ages 1 through 44

Most are preventableMost are preventable

Known, effective Known, effective interventions work!interventions work!

10 Leading Causes of Death by Age --Blue boxes indicate injury deaths.

Quick Quiz…Quick Quiz…

What are the leading What are the leading cause of most cause of most fatalfatal

unintentional injuries?unintentional injuries?

FatalitiesFatalities

Motor VehicleMotor Vehicle Falls Falls (adults)(adults)

Poisoning Poisoning (adults)(adults)

Drowning Drowning (toddlers/teens/older adults)(toddlers/teens/older adults)

Airway Obstruction Airway Obstruction (under 1 y.o.)(under 1 y.o.)

Pedestrian Pedestrian (older adults, ages 1-4 and (older adults, ages 1-4 and 20-24)20-24)

Pedal CyclistPedal Cyclist Fires and BurnsFires and Burns PoisoningPoisoning FirearmsFirearms

Source: Washington State Dept. of Health

Fatalities: tip of the icebergFatalities: tip of the iceberg

1Death

45Hospitaliz

ations1,300

Emergency Room Visits

2,600Treated at Doctor Office

or Home

Quick Quiz…Quick Quiz…

What causes the most What causes the most nonfatalnonfatal unintentional unintentional

injuries?injuries?

Non-fatal HospitalizationsNon-fatal Hospitalizations

Falls Falls (older adults)(older adults)

Motor VehicleMotor Vehicle Poisoning Poisoning (adults (adults

and toddlers)and toddlers)

Natural environment Natural environment (bites, stings, etc.)(bites, stings, etc.)

““Struck By/Against”Struck By/Against” Fires/BurnsFires/Burns Cut/PierceCut/Pierce

Source: Washington State Dept. of Health

Fatal

Hospitalized

Non-hospitalized

Total

149,075

Incidence Medical CostsProductivity

Losses Total Costs

$1 Billion $142 Billion $143 Billion

1,869,857 $34 Billion $49 Billion $92 Billion

48,108,166 $45 Billion $125 Billion $171 Billion

50,127,098 $80 Billion $326 Billion $406 Billion

US Incidence and Costs of Injury (Finkelstein, et al 2006)

Cost Estimates Based on 2000 data

Injury Prevention as a ScienceInjury Prevention as a Science

Known risk factorsKnown risk factors Scientific research Scientific research

(conducted by leaders such as Johns (conducted by leaders such as Johns Hopkins, Centers For Disease Control, Hopkins, Centers For Disease Control, Harborview Injury Prevention & Research Harborview Injury Prevention & Research Center, etc.)Center, etc.)

Best practice interventions Best practice interventions based on research and databased on research and data

Scientific “public health” model:Scientific “public health” model:

Define problem: look at data!Define problem: look at data!

Identify risk and protective factorsIdentify risk and protective factors

Develop and test prevention Develop and test prevention strategiesstrategies

Assure widespread adoption of Assure widespread adoption of injury prevention principals and injury prevention principals and strategiesstrategies

Quick QuizQuick Quiz

Who is most likely to Who is most likely to be injured?be injured?

Most at-risk Most at-risk

Younger childrenYounger children Older adultsOlder adults MalesMales Minority childrenMinority children Poor childrenPoor children

Traditional “E’s” of Injury Traditional “E’s” of Injury PreventionPrevention

Education: community and individualEducation: community and individual

Engineering: safer products, roadways, Engineering: safer products, roadways, construction practices, etc.construction practices, etc.

Enforcement: laws, policies,ordinances, Enforcement: laws, policies,ordinances, building codes, etc.building codes, etc.

Another “E”: EvaluationAnother “E”: Evaluation

Activity should be based on data that shows Activity should be based on data that shows

a) issue is important a) issue is important

b) target population is appropriateb) target population is appropriate

c) intervention strategy is promisingc) intervention strategy is promising

Trusted ResourcesTrusted Resources Centers For Disease and PreventionCenters For Disease and Prevention Safe Kids WorldwideSafe Kids Worldwide American Academy of PediatricsAmerican Academy of Pediatrics Consumer Product Safety Commission Consumer Product Safety Commission National Highway Transportation National Highway Transportation

Administration (NHTSA)Administration (NHTSA)

Local coalitionsLocal coalitions

Safe Kids Pierce CountySafe Kids Pierce County

Pierce County Child Passenger Pierce County Child Passenger Safety TeamSafety Team

Pierce County Falls Prevention Pierce County Falls Prevention CoalitionCoalition

Pierce County Leadership for Alcohol Pierce County Leadership for Alcohol and Drug Free Youthand Drug Free Youth

New resource developed for New resource developed for emergency personnel:emergency personnel:

Developed by local Developed by local prevention specialistsprevention specialists

Modules added to OTEP Modules added to OTEP Enables you to address Enables you to address

prevention during the prevention during the “teachable moment” “teachable moment” following an injury or near-following an injury or near-injuryinjury

Provides you with Provides you with resources to leave with the resources to leave with the patient/patient’s familypatient/patient’s family

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Why talk about injury prevention Why talk about injury prevention afterafter an injury (or near miss)? an injury (or near miss)?

On-scene EMS crews are in an ideal position to On-scene EMS crews are in an ideal position to deliver prevention info because…deliver prevention info because…

Research with brief interventions in hospitals show a Research with brief interventions in hospitals show a patient is psychologically open to information, patient is psychologically open to information, creating a “teachable moment”creating a “teachable moment”

EMS may be the "tipping point" for the patient or EMS may be the "tipping point" for the patient or caregiver to incorporate safety practices caregiver to incorporate safety practices

If a person experiences one injury, he/she is at If a person experiences one injury, he/she is at higher risk for a future injuryhigher risk for a future injury

Other healthcare providers often lack appropriate Other healthcare providers often lack appropriate knowledge or resourcesknowledge or resources

Patients treat on-scene and released may not have Patients treat on-scene and released may not have another opportunity for safety counselinganother opportunity for safety counseling

WWhat risks are observed on scene?hat risks are observed on scene?

HHow can we keep from coming back?ow can we keep from coming back?

AAction to take to prevent future ction to take to prevent future injuriesinjuries

MMaterials to leave behind aterials to leave behind

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WHAM FoldersWHAM Folders

Folders provided for emergency rigsFolders provided for emergency rigs Folders divided by injury areas:Folders divided by injury areas:

HelmetsHelmets FirearmsFirearms PoisoningPoisoning Falls among Older AdultsFalls among Older Adults Child Passenger / Motor Vehicle SafetyChild Passenger / Motor Vehicle Safety Airway ObstructionsAirway Obstructions BurnsBurns Open Water DrowningOpen Water Drowning

Contains prevention info and local resourcesContains prevention info and local resources

WHAM developed by:WHAM developed by: Central Pierce Fire & RescueCentral Pierce Fire & Rescue

City of DuPont Fire DepartmentCity of DuPont Fire DepartmentGig Harbor Fire & Medic OneGig Harbor Fire & Medic One

Safe Kids Pierce CountySafe Kids Pierce CountyTacoma-Pierce County Health Dept.Tacoma-Pierce County Health Dept.

With funding from:With funding from:West Region EMS & West Region EMS & Trauma Care CouncilTrauma Care Council