Page last updated: 18-DEC-2007

Unintentional Injuries


Statistical Publication Notice

18 December 2007

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Unintentional Injuries


INTRODUCTION

Unintentional injury is one of the main causes of death and is one of the common causes of emergency hospital admissions in children.  Unintentional injuries are also a common cause for emergency hospital admissions among adults.  The term "unintentional injury" is preferred to "accidents" as the latter implies events are inevitable and unavoidable whereas a high proportion of these incidents are now regarded as being preventable.  Unintentional injuries can occur in any age group, but children and the elderly are more vulnerable.
 
This release updates information on:
  • emergency hospital admissions as a result of an unintentional injury up to financial year ending 31 March 2007
  • deaths caused by unintentional injury up to year ending 31 December 2006
New information is published on emergency hospital admissions and deaths at Community Health Partnership level for the latest year and on emergency hospital admissions and deaths as a result of assault by sharp object.

KEY POINTS

  • In 2006/07, unintentional injuries accounted for approximately 1 in 5 emergency hospital admissions for children and 1 in 7 for adults.
  • In 2006/07, there were 349,490 patients admitted to hospital as an emergency. Approximately 16% of these were admitted as a result of an unintentional injury.
  • The number of emergency admissions to hospital, due to unintentional injuries, has decreased from 66,088 in 1999/00 to 58,763 in 2006/07.  There has also been a decrease in the number of deaths as a result of an unintentional injury from 1,996 in 1985 to 1,288 in 2006.
  • In 2006 approximately 1 in 13 childhood deaths are due to an unintentional injury.    In adults, deaths due to an unintentional injury account for approximately 1 in 43 deaths.

INTERPRETATION

  • Data presented at NHS Board level uses the new configuration, after the dissolution of Argyll & Clyde.
  • NHS Board and Community Health Partnership data should be treated with caution, as ratios are based on small numbers and may vary significantly from year to year and between NHS Boards

DETAILED FINDINGS

Children (0-14 years)
  • In all age groups, boys are more likely than girls to be admitted to hospital owing to unintentional injury.
  • Children in the most deprived areas are almost twice as likely to be admitted to hospital and almost three and half times as likely to die as a result of unintentional injury as children in the least deprived areas.
  • For unintentional injuries the most common cause of emergency admission to hospital is falls while road traffic accidents is the most common cause of death, accounting for over half of childhood deaths in 2006.
  • Injuries in the home account for approximately one third of emergency admissions to hospital.  Children in the 1-4 age group account for over half of these admissions.
Adults (15 years and over)
  • Males under 65 are more likely than females of the same age to be admitted to a hospital owing to an unintentional injury.  However, this is reversed for ages 65 and over where females are more likely to be admitted.
  • Adults in the most deprived areas are over twice as likely to be admitted to hospital and almost twice as likely to die as a result of unintentional injury as adults in the least deprived areas.
  • For unintentional injuries in adults falls are the most common cause of emergency admission to hospital and the most common cause of death.
  • Unintentional injuries in the home account for over a quarter of all emergency admissions to hospital as a result of an unintentional injury for adults.  The 75 and over age group accounts for over half of these admissions.
  • The majority of assaults by a sharp object resulting in emergency hospital admissions or death are for young adults aged between 15 and 34 years and occur at the weekend.
  • For assault by a sharp object, there are almost 20 times more emergency hospital admissions and 8.5 times more deaths amongst males than females.

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MAIN CONTACTS:

Andrew Lee
Statistician
Tel: 0131 275 7594
Email: andrew.lee@isd.csa.scot.nhs.uk

John Quinn
Information Analyst
Tel: 0131 275 6573
Email: john.quinn@isd.csa.scot.nhs.uk

Michelle Kirkpatrick
Senior Information Analyst
Tel: 0131 275 6458
Email: michelle.kirkpatrick@isd.csa.scot.nhs.uk

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GLOSSARY:

The term "unintentional injury" is preferred to "accidents" as the latter implies events are inevitable and unavoidable whereas a high proportion of these incidents are now regarded as being preventable
 
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PRE-RELEASE ACCESS TO THIS PUBLICATION WAS GIVEN TO:

ISD contacts
GRO contacts
NHS Board Chief Executives
 
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HISTORY OF THIS PUBLICATION:

Last Published: 19/12/2006
Next Due:  December 2008
Dat Avaliable Since:  Emergency admission data is available for financial years ending 31 March 2002-2007
Death data is available for calendar years ending 31 December 2001-2006

 


Main contact: Email Andrew Lee