Characterizing Emergency Department Visits for Product-Related Head Injuries in the United States 2014 to 2024

The aim of this study was to describe the epidemiology of head injuries associated with consumer products presenting to emergency departments (EDs) in the United States.

We included ED visits for head injuries occurring in all ages from 2014 to 2024 from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS), a database of consumer product-related injuries occurring in the United States. National estimates were derived from the NEISS statistical weights associated with each ED visit. We calculated the annual national rate of ED visits for head injuries and examined the trends in the crude rates for head injury ED visits across age groups. Temporal analysis identified the dates of significantly more head injury visits than expected.

There were 571,438 ED visits for head injuries, representing 15.02% of all ED visits in the NEISS data set from 2014 to 2024. Nationally, injuries occurred most in men (51.11%), White identifying individuals (49.74%), and persons aged younger than 5 years (17.94%). Injuries occurred throughout the year, but April, May, June, and December had the most days where injuries significantly exceeded expectations. Most patients (84.04%) were treated and released from the ED. Internal organ injury was the most common diagnosis across age groups.

Head injury rates increased over the study period, with variation by age group. Involved products differed significantly by age group, with organized sports (football, basketball, soccer, and baseball) equipment being common in adolescents and floors/structural items (floors, beds, and stairs) being common in the elderly. These findings can inform public health policy and education.