Emergency Department Visits After Body Piercings

There is a paucity of data describing the frequency and complications of body piercing injuries (BPI) in the United States.

We conducted a cross-sectional study using the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) to identify emergency department (ED) visits for BPI from 2011-2020 and to estimate prevalence among US individuals ≤24 years of age. Additionally, estimates for infections, requirements for hospitalization/transfer, and exploring significant associations were investigated.

A total of 10,912 ED visits extrapolates to a national estimate of 338,972 BPIs in the United States. A majority of BPI involved females (85%), adolescents or young adults (55%), and ears (71%). Foreign bodies comprised 72.6% of BPI. Thirteen percent of ED piercing visits were associated with infection. Of these ED visits for BPI-associated infection, 3% required hospitalization/transfer. In the context of all piercing-associated injuries, injuries to the pubic region were 16.8 times more likely to require hospitalization compared to body piercing injuries of the ear. In the context of all piercing-associated infections, navel (lower trunk), nipple (upper trunk), and oral (mouth) locations were associated with increased odds of infection when compared to BPI infections of the ear.

BPI is a common problem in children, adolescents, and youth. Age and body piercing location significantly impact rates of BPI, infection, and hospitalization/transfer. Further study should identify the total number of annual body piercings in the United States. This could generate targeted counseling and risk reduction interventions aimed at specific groups, especially older children who appear to be at increased risk.