Characteristics of Ice Hockey–Related Injuries Treated in US Emergency Departments, 2001–2002

Abstract

ABSTRACT. Objective. Ice hockey, a popular sport in some regions, has potential for injury due to the velocities of players, pucks, and sticks. Previous studies conducted worldwide have shown that the rate of injury increases as the size and the speed of players increase, as well as when checking is allowed. However, national data about the annual number and types of injuries among ice hockey players are lacking. Data from previous studies were collected from regional tournaments, collegiate teams, local emergency departments (EDs), and different countries. The purpose of this article is to examine ice hockey injuries using a national US database to determine the age distribution of total injuries, injury types, and body regions injured, with a particular focus on ice hockey players <18 years old.Methods. Data regarding ice hockey-related injuries treated in US EDs between January 1, 2001, and December 31, 2002, were extracted from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS). Data considered included age, gender, race, injury diagnosis, and body region injured. Ice hockey-related injury cases were identified using the consumer product code for ice hockey and the narrative description of the incident in NEISS.Results. An estimated 32 750 individuals with ice hockey-related injuries were treated in US EDs in 2001-2002, including >18 000 youths <18 years old. The number of injuries peak through adolescence (ages 12-17; 47% of all injuries). Males experienced 90% of all injuries. A very small percentage of individuals were hospitalized after injury (1.2% of individuals <18 years old; 0.5% of individuals >18 years old). The incidence of head injuries increased as age decreased, although the trend was not statistically significant. The upper extremity (44%) accounted for the highest total percentages of body regions injured for youths <18 years old, and trunk (14%) and facial injuries (10%) represented the smallest total percentages. Players >18 years old had significantly more lacerations than younger players (38% of injuries for 18-to 24-year-olds; 25% for 25-to 34-year-olds; 50% for 35-to 44-year-olds compared with 19% for 6-to 11-year-olds and 14% for 12-to 17-year-olds). Conclusions. Adolescents had the greatest number of ice hockey-related injuries treated in NEISS hospital

Emergency Department Visits Resulting From Intentional Injury In and Out of School

“…We created a "traumatic brain injury" category for the diagnoses of concussion and fracture or internal injury when "head" was the injured body part. 5,36 All other diagnoses were left as originally coded in the NEISS-AIP database. Immediate cause of injury was also restricted to the top 5 causes and "other."…”

Emergency Department Visits for Concussion in Young Child Athletes

“…Several academic groups have used NEISS and NEISS-AIP successfully to investigate a wide variety of injury-and product-related ED visits. [16][17][18][19][20][21] …”

Penetrating chest trauma secondary to a composite hockey stick injury

“…3 The annual incidence of spinal cord injury with paralysis as a result of an injury acquired while playing hockey in Canada is 3 times greater than that reported for American football. 5 The majority of injuries are secondary to blunt trauma and are minor in nature; however, accounts of significant morbidity and mortality have been published.…”

“…1 Defined as a game played with clubs (hockey sticks), knives (skates) and bullets (pucks), [2][3][4] its violence parallels that seen daily within emergency medicine. Despite this, ice hockey is enjoyed by millions of people worldwide and is attracting an increasing number of participants not only in Canada, but internationally.…”