Children bouncing to the emergency department: Changes in trampoline injury patterns

Abstract

Aim: To compare trampoline injuries and injury costs sustained at a commercial trampoline park versus private homes presenting to a major Australian children's hospital over a 12-month period.

Methods: Children presenting with a trampoline injury to the paediatric emergency department in 2015 were identified using a keyword search of triage information. A comparison of injuries sustained at a commercial trampoline park and private homes was performed.

Results: A total of 392 children presented with injuries, and the majority of injuries (68.9%) occurred at a private home; 19.4% were from a commercial trampoline park. Significant differences were seen between patients from a private home and commercial park for median age (5.6 vs. 12.8 years; P < 0.001), gender (48.2 vs. 61.8% female; P = 0.03) and season of injury. Of the injuries, 27.3% occurred when children fell off the trampoline, and fractures (39.5%) were the most common injury; 17.4% required hospital admission, and 12.8% required surgical intervention. Commercial park injuries had a significantly longer median length of stay (37.4 vs. 22.8 h; P = 0.03). The estimated total acute cost for these trampoline injuries in 1 year was $546 786. Commercial trampoline park injuries accounted for 21.7% of the estimated cost and private homes for 68.2%.

Conclusions: Paediatric trampoline injuries remain a common source of hospital presentation and admission, despite the introduction of a Voluntary Australian Standard. Paediatric trampoline injuries usually occur in private homes; however, the increasing popularity of commercial trampoline parks contributes to a change in the profile of trampoline injuries. Commercial park injuries were more expensive to treat.

Keywords: commercial trampoline park; emergency department; fracture; injury; prevention; trampoline.