Monday, January 19, 2004
THE COST OF INJURY......
CDC: Injuries cost billions every year from CNN
Injuries caused by falling down, car wrecks and other accidents cost the U.S. economy $117 billion every year, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Thursday.
This represents 10 percent of all medical spending and much of it could be prevented, the CDC said.
"In the United States, injuries are the leading cause of death among persons aged under 35 years and the fourth leading cause of death among persons of all ages," the report reads.
So not only are the numbers of injured very high, injuries affects the most productive segment of society. My fellow medbloggers debate the effectiveness of prevention in other diseases. Injury prevention could reduce those numbers greatly.
We know that seat belts and child safety seats and smoke alarms are effective. And we can prevent falls among older adults through exercise programs that include balance training, vision correction, and reduction of medications to the fewest number and doses, and environmental changes
To this list I add:
Wear helmets when riding a motorcycle, or bicycle.
Practice firearm safety.
Use alcohol responsibly, this is much more than "don't drink and drive". Alcohol consumption plays a large role in the assaults that come through the ED
I'll be watching the coverage of the Iowa Caucuses while on call.....may post some more later. |
CDC: Injuries cost billions every year from CNN
Injuries caused by falling down, car wrecks and other accidents cost the U.S. economy $117 billion every year, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Thursday.
This represents 10 percent of all medical spending and much of it could be prevented, the CDC said.
"In the United States, injuries are the leading cause of death among persons aged under 35 years and the fourth leading cause of death among persons of all ages," the report reads.
So not only are the numbers of injured very high, injuries affects the most productive segment of society. My fellow medbloggers debate the effectiveness of prevention in other diseases. Injury prevention could reduce those numbers greatly.
We know that seat belts and child safety seats and smoke alarms are effective. And we can prevent falls among older adults through exercise programs that include balance training, vision correction, and reduction of medications to the fewest number and doses, and environmental changes
To this list I add:
Wear helmets when riding a motorcycle, or bicycle.
Practice firearm safety.
Use alcohol responsibly, this is much more than "don't drink and drive". Alcohol consumption plays a large role in the assaults that come through the ED
I'll be watching the coverage of the Iowa Caucuses while on call.....may post some more later. |
