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In-line skating: a deadly pediatric activity?
1Department of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Miami Children's Hospital, FL 33155, USA.
Insights
In-line skating injuries are rising in children, with a significant increase in hospitalizations and deaths. Prevention education is crucial as younger children are increasingly at risk.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Trauma
- Injury Prevention
- Public Health
Background:
- In-line skating is a popular recreational activity among children.
- Understanding the epidemiology of in-line skating injuries is essential for developing targeted prevention strategies.
Observation:
- A review of pediatric in-line skating injuries at a children's hospital revealed hospitalizations and one death.
- National data from 1991-1995 indicated a significant number of pediatric deaths, primarily due to motor vehicle collisions.
- The 0-14 age group experienced a 136% increase in injuries from 1993 to 1994.
Findings:
- In-line skating injuries in children are increasing in both frequency and severity.
- Male children and adolescents (median age 12-13) are disproportionately affected.
- A concerning trend shows a younger demographic becoming increasingly vulnerable to severe injuries.
Implications:
- There is an urgent need for comprehensive injury prevention education for children participating in in-line skating.
- Healthcare providers should be aware of the rising incidence and severity of these injuries.
- Public health initiatives should focus on educating parents and young skaters about safe practices and risks, especially regarding traffic safety.
Objectives:
To report pediatric injuries requiring hospitalization and deaths related to in-line skating in a children's hospital and to review the trend and description of in-line skating-related pediatric deaths reported by the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) from 1991 to 1995.
Design:
The medical records of patients admitted or pronounced dead at Miami Children's Hospital (MCH) related to in-line skating injuries and the NEISS national database pediatric death reports were reviewed and analyzed.
Setting:
Tertiary trauma center at a children's hospital in southern Florida and emergency departments that participated in NEISS.
Patients:
Pediatric patients who required admission or were pronounced dead for injuries related to in-line skating during a two-year study period at MCH. Pediatric deaths reported to NEISS related to in-line skating from 1991 to 1995.
Results:
Eight admissions and one death occurred at MCH and are discussed separately. The median age was 13 years with a range of four, 77% were male. NEISS had 28 cases of pediatric death reported, 96.4% were due to motor vehicle collision with the skater. The median age was 12 years, 81.5% were male. The 0- to 14-year age group represented 57.9% of all injuries in 1994, an increase of 136% from 1993.
Conclusion:
We report a pediatric death related to in-line skating and the data from NEISS of pediatric deaths to emphasize the morbidities related to sports involving wheels. In-line skating-related injuries are increasing in the pediatric population in frequency as well as severity. The population at risk is becoming younger and thus education for injury prevention is needed.