Product related adult genitourinary injuries treated at emergency departments in the United States from 2002 to 2010

Abstract

Purpose: We describe the epidemiological features of adult genitourinary injuries related to consumer products and determined the patient cohorts, products and situations associated with increased genitourinary injury risk.

Materials and methods: The National Electronic Injury Surveillance System, a data set validated to provide a probability sample of injury related emergency department presentations in the United States, was analyzed to characterize genitourinary injuries from 2002 to 2010. We analyzed 3,545 observations to derive national estimates.

Results: An estimated 142,144 adults (95% CI 115,324-168,964) presented to American emergency departments with genitourinary injuries from 2002 to 2010. Of the injuries 69% occurred in men. A large majority of injuries involved the external genitalia. The most common categories of products involved were sporting items in 30.2% of cases, clothing articles in 9.4% and furniture in 9.2%. The highest prevalence of injury was at ages 18 to 28 years (37.5%), which was most often related to sports equipment, such as bicycles. Older cohorts (age greater than 65 years) more commonly sustained injuries during falls and often in the bathroom during use of a shower or tub. Of all patients 88% were evaluated and treated in the emergency department without inpatient admission, although the admission rate increased with increasing patient age.

Conclusions: Acute genitourinary injury is often associated with common consumer items and with identifiable high risk cohorts, products and situations. Consumers, practitioners and safety champions can use our epidemiological data to prioritize and develop strategies aimed at the prevention, limitation and informed treatment of such injuries.

Figure 1

Percent of top 7 categories of consumer products associated with GU injury by age range. Remaining injuries were divided among more than 30 additional product categories.

Figure 2

Estimated annual incidence of GU injury presentations to ED for most commonly injured GU organs and most common types of consumer products identified as causing injury to each GU organ category.

Figure 3

Age and product related GU injuries from 2002 to 2010. Likelihood of injury from consumer products differed across age ranges. Black curve indicates bathroom fixtures. Purple curve indicates climbing fixtures. Orange curve indicates furniture items. Blue curve indicates shaving items. Brown curve indicates clothing. Pink curve indicates sporting items.