Children bouncing to the emergency department: Changes in trampoline injury patterns

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Emergency Medicine
• Public Health
• Injury Prevention

Background:

• Paediatric trampoline injuries are a significant public health concern.
• Despite voluntary Australian Standards, trampoline-related injuries continue to present to hospitals.
• The rise of commercial trampoline parks necessitates an updated understanding of injury patterns.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the characteristics and costs of trampoline injuries sustained at commercial trampoline parks versus private homes.
• To analyze injury data from a major Australian children's hospital over a 12-month period.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of paediatric emergency department presentations for trampoline injuries in 2015.
• Keyword search of triage information to identify cases.
• Comparison of injury demographics, injury types, treatment, and costs between commercial park and private home settings.

Main Results:

• A total of 392 paediatric trampoline injuries were recorded; most (68.9%) occurred at private homes, while 19.4% were at commercial parks.
• Commercial park injuries involved older children (median age 12.8 vs. 5.6 years) and had a longer median hospital stay (37.4 vs. 22.8 hours).
• Fractures were the most common injury (39.5%), with 17.4% requiring admission and 12.8% needing surgery. Commercial park injuries were more costly to treat.

Conclusions:

• Paediatric trampoline injuries remain a common reason for hospital visits and admissions.
• While most injuries occur at home, commercial trampoline parks are increasingly contributing to the injury profile.
• Injuries sustained at commercial trampoline parks are associated with higher treatment costs and longer hospitalizations.