Vital records in the development of injury control research

Most of the resources of the emergency physician are devoted to persons already injured, with little emphasis on prevention. Analyses of state and local injury statistics are necessary to identify local prevention needs in order to set program priorities. We discuss an example, an analysis of statewide injury fatalities identified through the Illinois Vital Records database. The overall death rate for injuries in illinois was lower than that found for the United States. However, the need for research on several high-risk age groups for certain injuries was identified. Most notably, the homicide rate for those 15 to 24 years old was 140% of the national rate. Other specific nonwhite age groups were overrepresented in poisoning, fire, and firearm deaths, while specific white age groups were overrepresented in suicide, fall, and drowning deaths. The research regarding the etiologies of these injuries and the formulation and evaluation of prevention strategies based on this research must be interdisciplinary. The emergency physician is in a unique position to serve as a member of such an interdisciplinary injury control team, but currently there is little emphasis on or training for this role.