[Injuries and poisoning caused by various types of activities. Epidemiologic survey on death and hospitalization in Aquitaine]

Abstract

From the data of a survey conducted in 1986 within the French area of Aquitaine and based on a representative sample of injuries having led to immediate death or hospitalization, different types of injuries were compared. Domestic and recreational accidents constituted the leading cause (41%) of injuries, followed by traffic accidents (28%) and suicides (13%). The overall ratio of immediate deaths to hospitalizations was 1 to 30 (1 to 10 for suicides, 1 to 20 for traffic accidents and 1 to 80 for domestic accidents). The overall annual incidence was 131 per 10,000 (respectively 20, 34 and 53 for suicides, traffic accidents and domestic accidents). The incidence by sex, age and type of accident was assessed. Among hospitalizations, about 3/4 of domestic and school accidents were falls; 45% of work accidents were cutting-piercing or being struck by an object, and 40% were falls; 90% of attempted suicides were poisonings. Using the Injury Severity Score (ISS), severity of injuries was the highest in traffic accidents. Traffic accidents also led to the highest hospital mortality within eight days (1.6%).