Nonfatal self-inflicted injuries treated in hospital emergency departments--United States, 2000

Abstract

CDC, in collaboration with the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), expanded CPSC's National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) in July 2000 to include all types and external causes of nonfatal injuries treated in U.S. hospital emergency departments (EDs). This ongoing surveillance system, called NEISS All Injury Program (NEISS-AIP), provides data to calculate national estimates for nonfatal injuries treated in EDs during 2000. This report provides national, annualized, weighted estimates of nonfatal self-inflicted injuries treated in U.S. hospital EDs. Overall, self-inflicted injury rates were highest among adolescents and young adults, particularly females. Most (90%) self-inflicted injuries were the result of poisoning or being cut/pierced with a sharp instrument, and 60% were probable suicide attempts. NEISS-AIP data increase understanding of self-inflicted injuries and can serve as a basis for monitoring trends, facilitating additional research, and evaluating intervention approaches.