The National Injury Surveillance System in China: a six-year review

This article aims to describe the National Injury Surveillance System (NISS) in China from its establishment in 2006 to the methods used and some key findings from 2006 to 2011.

From 2003 to 2005, based upon specific injury case definitions, a pilot study was conducted to explore the feasibility of a National Injury Surveillance System (NISS) in China. The NISS formally started operations in January 2006, and 126 hospitals from 43 sample points (23 rural, 20 urban) were selected to participate. Doctors and nurses in participating hospitals were trained to administer standardised data collection forms. Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention is in charge of analysing data and releasing findings.

From 2006 to 2011, the annual recorded injury cases increased from 340,000 to 630,000, the majority being male (65%) and over 80% aged 15-64 years. Falls (32%), road traffic injuries (23%) and blunt injuries (19%) were the most common causes. More than 70% of cases were of minor severity, and over 75% of cases were discharged after treatment in the emergency department.

The NISS is the first hospital-based national system in China, therefore considered an important source of injury data. It has the potential to describe injury morbidity in China and to be utilised to develop national technical and policy documents.