THU0442 GOUT AND HEART FAILURE IN THE US: A NATIONAL PERSPECTIVE

Background:Heart failure (HF) is the eighth leading cause of death in the US, with a 38% increase in the number of deaths due to HF from 2011 to 2017 (1). Gout and hyperuricemia have previously been recognized as significant risk factors for heart failure (2), but there is little nationwide data on the clinical and economic consequences of these comorbidities.Objectives:To study heart failure hospitalizations in patients with gout in the United States (US) and estimate their clinical and economic impact.Methods:The Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) is a stratified random sample of all US community hospitals. It is the only US national hospital database with information on all patients, regardless of payer, including persons covered by Medicare, Medicaid, private insurance, and the uninsured. We examined all inpatient hospitalizations in the NIS in 2017, the most recent year of available data, with a primary or secondary diagnosis of gout and heart failure. Over 69,800 ICD 10 diagnoses were collapsed into a smaller number of clinically meaningful categories, consistent with the CDC Clinical Classification Software.Results:There were 35.8 million all-cause hospitalizations in patients in the US in 2017. Of these, 351,735 hospitalizations occurred for acute and/or chronic heart failure in patients with gout. These patients had a mean age of 73.3 years (95% confidence intervals 73.1 – 73.5 years) and were more likely to be male (63.4%). The average length of hospitalization was 6.1 days (95% confidence intervals 6.0 to 6.2 days) with a case fatality rate of 3.5% (95% confidence intervals 3.4% – 3.7%). The average cost of each hospitalization was $63,992 (95% confidence intervals $61,908 - $66,075), with a total annual national cost estimate of $22.8 billion (95% confidence intervals $21.7 billion - $24.0 billion).Conclusion:While gout and hyperuricemia have long been recognized as potential risk factors for heart failure, the aging of the US population is projected to significantly increase the burden of illness and costs of care of these comorbidities (1). This calls for an increased awareness and management of serious co-morbid conditions in patients with gout.References:[1]Sidney, S., Go, A. S., Jaffe, M. G., Solomon, M. D., Ambrosy, A. P., & Rana, J. S. (2019). Association Between Aging of the US Population and Heart Disease Mortality From 2011 to 2017. JAMA Cardiology. doi:10.1001/jamacardio.2019.4187[2]Krishnan E. Gout and the risk for incident heart failure and systolic dysfunction. BMJ Open 2012;2:e000282.doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2011-000282Disclosure of Interests: :Gurkirpal Singh Grant/research support from: Horizon Therapeutics, Maanek Sehgal: None declared, Alka Mithal: None declared

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Incidence of and Risk Factors for Nosocomial Bloodstream Infections in Adults in the United States, 2003

Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology ◽

10.1086/606167 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 30 (11) ◽

pp. 1036-1044 ◽

Cited By ~ 31

Author(s):

Omar M. AL-Rawajfah ◽

Frank Stetzer ◽

Jeanne Beauchamp Hewitt

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Risk Factors ◽

Case Fatality Rate ◽

Nationwide Inpatient Sample ◽

Hospital Admissions ◽

Case Fatality ◽

The United States ◽

Fatality Rate ◽

The Us ◽

National Estimates

Background.Although many studies have examined nosocomial bloodstream infection (BSI), US national estimates of incidence and case-fatality rates have seldom been reported.Objective.The purposes of this study were to generate US national estimates of the incidence and severity of nosocomial BSI and to identify risk factors for nosocomial BSI among adults hospitalized in the United States on the basis of a national probability sample.Methods.This cross-sectional study used the US Nationwide Inpatient Sample for the year 2003 to estimate the incidence and case-fatality rate associated with nosocomial BSI in the total US population. Cases of nosocomial BSI were defined by using 1 or more International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification codes in the secondary field(s) that corresponded to BSIs that occurred at least 48 hours after admission. The comparison group consisted of all patients without BSI codes in their NIS records. Weighted data were used to generate US national estimates of nosocomial BSIs. Logistic regression was used to identify independent risk factors for nosocomial BSI.Results.The US national estimated incidence of nosocomial BSI was 21.6 cases per 1,000 admissions, while the estimated case-fatality rate was 20.6%. Seven of the 10 leading causes of hospital admissions associated with nosocomial BSI were infection related. We estimate that 541,081 patients would have acquired a nosocomial BSI in 2003, and of these, 111,427 would have died. The final multivariate model consisted of the following risk factors: central venous catheter use (odds ratio [OR], 4.76), other infections (OR, 4.61), receipt of mechanical ventilation (OR, 4.97), trauma (OR, 1.98), hemodialysis (OR, 4.83), and malnutrition (OR, 2.50). The total maximum rescaled R2 was 0.22.Conclusions.The Nationwide Inpatient Sample was useful for estimating national incidence and case-fatality rates, as well as examining independent predictors of nosocomial BSI.

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Trends and Risk Factors for Leishmaniasis among Reproductive Aged Women in the United States

International Journal of MCH and AIDS (IJMA) ◽

10.21106/ijma.478 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (2) ◽

pp. 166-173

Author(s):

Chioma Ikedionwu ◽

Deepa Dongarwar ◽

Courtney Williams ◽

Evelyn Odeh ◽

Maylis Nkeng Peh ◽

...

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Risk Factors ◽

Global Health ◽

Protective Factor ◽

Private Insurance ◽

The United States ◽

Reproductive Age ◽

Women Of Reproductive Age ◽

The Us ◽

Clinical Awareness

Background and Objective: Leishmaniasis, a neglected tropical disease, is endemic in several regions globally, but commonly regarded as a disease of travelers in the United States (US). The literature on leishmaniasis among hospitalized women in the US is very limited. The aim of this study was to explore trends and risk factors for leishmaniasis among hospitalized women of reproductive age within the US. Methods: We analyzed hospital admissions data from the 2002-2017 Nationwide Inpatient Sample among women aged 15-49 years. We conducted descriptive statistics and bivariate analyses for factors associated with leishmaniasis. Utilizing logistic regression, we assessed the association between sociodemographic and hospital characteristics with leishmaniasis disease among hospitalized women of reproductive age in the US. Joinpoint regression was used to examine trends over time. Results: We analyzed 131,529,239 hospitalizations; among these, 207 cases of leishmaniasis hospitalizations were identified, equivalent to an overall prevalence of 1.57 cases per million during the study period. The prevalence of leishmaniasis was greatest among older women of reproductive age (35-49 years), Hispanics, those with Medicare, and inpatient stay in large teaching hospitals in the Northeast of the US. Hispanic women experienced a statistically significant increased odds of leishmaniasis diagnosis (OR, 1.80; 95% CI, 1.19-4.06), compared to Non-Hispanic (NH) White women. Medicaid and Private Insurance appeared to serve as a protective factor in both unadjusted and adjusted models. We did not observe a statistically significant change in leishmaniasis rates over the study period. Conclusion and Global Health Implications: Although the prevalence of leishmaniasis among women of reproductive age appears to be low in the US, some risk remains. Thus, appropriate educational, public health and policy initiatives are needed to increase clinical awareness and timely diagnosis/treatment of the disease. Copyright © 2021 Ikedionwu, et al. Published by Global Health and Education Projects, Inc. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0) which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work, first published in this journal, is properly cited.

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Stroke hospitalization and case-fatality in the United States, 1988–1997

Stroke ◽

10.1161/str.32.suppl_1.320-a ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 32 (suppl_1) ◽

pp. 320-320

Author(s):

Jing Fang ◽

Hillel Cohen ◽

Michael H Alderman

Keyword(s):

Heart Failure ◽

Congestive Heart Failure ◽

Ischemic Stroke ◽

Case Fatality ◽

The United States ◽

Hospital Death ◽

Stroke Mortality ◽

Hospital Case ◽

Hospitalization Rates ◽

The Us

23 Age-adjusted stroke mortality in the US has declined in recent decades. However, little is known about stroke morbidity. Using the National Hospital Discharge Survey data from 1988 to 1997, we examined the change in stroke hospitalization and case-fatality in the US. During the 10 years, age-adjusted stroke hospitalization rate increased 22% (from 381 to 463/100,000, p=0.048). By regions, stroke hospitalization rates overall were 641, 600, 562 and 438 for the South, Midwest, Northeast, and West respectively (p<0.05), and were increased in all regions during the 10 years. Overall, 58% of stroke hospitalizations were due to ischemic stroke, 13% due to hemorrhagic stroke, and 29% were classified as other stroke. The hospitalization rates were 74.8 and 332.4 per 100,000 respectively for hemorrhagic and ischemic strokes and the increase rate in 10 years were 13.5% (p=0.214) and 31.5% (p=0.044) respectively. During 10 years, stroke patients with diabetes, hypertension and congestive heart failure increased 17.4% (p=0.17), 34% (p=0.05), and 31% (p=0.091) respectively. The average length of hospital stay reduced from 11.1 to 6.2 days (decrease of 44.1%), with an average annual percentage decrease of 6.1% (p=0.012). Although the total number of patients hospitalized for stroke increased during this period, the total person-days in hospital decreased 22% (p=006). In-hospital death among stroke decreased steadily from 12.7% to 7.6% (decrease of 40%, p=0.04). In-hospital case-fatality was estimated by stratifying patients on age, gender, region, type of stroke, and other co-morbidity. Case-fatality rate was substantially higher among patients with hemorrhagic than ischemic stroke (28.0% vs 5.8%, p<0.01); among patients with congestive heart failure than those without (17.9% vs 8.5%). In addition, patients of old age (≥75 years), men, those living in the Northeast had higher case-fatality rates than those younger, women and living in elsewhere. In conclusion, the declining of age-adjusted stroke mortality in the US has not been found to be related to the decrease in incidence. However, the observed reduction in hospital case-fatality might contribute to the decline of stroke mortality.

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Risk Factors Associated With Dengue Fever Outbreak in Taiz Governorate, Yemen, 2018: Case-control Study

10.21203/rs.3.rs-624873/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Abdulkareem Ali Hussein Nassar ◽

Amr Abdulaziz Torbosh ◽

Yassin Abdulmalik Mahyoub ◽

Mohammed Abdullah Al Amad

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Dengue Fever ◽

Case Control Study ◽

Significant Risk ◽

Case Fatality ◽

Case Control ◽

Case Definition ◽

P Value ◽

Factors Associated ◽

Control Study

Abstract Background: Dengue Fever (DF) is a significant health problem in Yemen especially in the coastal areas. On November 6, 2018, Taiz governorates surveillance officer notified the Ministry of Public Health and Population on an increase in the number of suspected DF in Al Qahirah and Al Mudhaffar districts, Taiz governorate. On November 7, 2018, Field Epidemiology Training Program sent a team to perform an investigation. The aims were to confirm and describe the outbreak by person, place and time in Taiz governorate, and identify its risk factors.Methodology: Descriptive and case-control study (1:2 ratio) were conducted. WHO case definition was used to identify cases in Al Qahirah or Al Mudhaffar districts during August-November 2018. Control was selected from the same districts who did not suffer from DF. Predesigned questionnaire was used to collect data related to sociodemographic, behavioral and environmental characteristics. Bivariate and multivariate backward stepwise analyses were used. The adjusted odds ratios (aOR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) were calculated. A P value < 0.05 was considered as the cut point for statistically significant. Epi info version 7.2 was used.Results: A total of 50 DF cases were found. Almost 52% were males and 76% were <30 years of age. The overall attack rate was 1/10,000 of the population. Case fatality rate was 4%. In multivariate analysis, not working (aOR = 26.6, 95% CI: 6.8–104.7), not using mosquito repellent (aOR = 13.9, 95% CI:1.4–136.8), wearing short sleeves/pants (aOR = 27.3, 95% CI: 4.8–156.8), poor sanitation (aOR = 5.4, 95% CI: 1.4–20.3), presence of outdoor trees (aOR = 13.2, 95% CI: 2.8–63.0) and houses without window nets (aOR = 15.7, 95% CI: 3.9–63.4) were statistically significant risk factors associated with DF outbreak. Eleven 11 (58%) of blood samples were positive for DF IgM.Conclusions: DF outbreak in Al Qahirah and Al Mudhaffar districts, Taiz governorate was confirmed. This study provides evidence-based information regarding the identified risk factors that contributed to the occurrence of this outbreak. Raising community awareness on the importance of personal protection measures and improving the sanitation services are strongly recommended.

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Abstract WMP60: Temporal Trends in Incidence, Prevalence and Epidemiological Characteristics of Cerebral Venous Thrombosis in the United States

Stroke ◽

10.1161/str.51.suppl_1.wmp60 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 51 (Suppl_1) ◽

Author(s):

Fadar Otite ◽

Smit Patel ◽

Richa Sharma ◽

Pushti Khandwala ◽

Devashish Desai ◽

...

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Risk Factors ◽

Cerebral Venous Thrombosis ◽

The United States ◽

P Value ◽

Joinpoint Regression ◽

The Us ◽

Epidemiological Characteristics ◽

Over Time ◽

Age And Sex

Background: The primary aim of this study is to describe current trends in racial-, age- and sex-specific incidence, clinical characteristics and burden of cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) in the United States (US). Methods: Validated International Classification of Disease codes were used to identify all adult new cases of CVT (n=5,567) in the State Inpatients Database of New York and Florida (2006-2016) and all cases of CVT in the entire US from the National Inpatient Sample 2005-2016 (weighted n=57,315). Incident CVT counts were combined with annual US Census data to compute age and sex-specific incidence of CVT. Joinpoint regression was used to evaluate trends in incidence over time. Results: From 2005-2016, 0.47%-0.80% of all strokes in the US were CVTs but this proportion increased by 70.4% over time. Of all CVTs over this period, 66.7% were in females but this proportion declined over time (p<0.001). Pregnancy/puerperium (27.4%) and cancer (11.8%) were the most common risk factors in women, while cancer (19.5%) and central nervous trauma (11.3) were the most common in men. Whereas the prevalence of pregnancy/puerperium declined significantly over time in women, that of cancer, inflammatory conditions and trauma increased over time in both sexes. Annual age and sex-standardized incidence of CVT in cases/million population ranged from 13.9-20.2, but incidence varied significantly by sex (women: 20.3-26.9; men 6.8-16.8) and by age/sex (women 18-44yo: 24.0-32.6%; men: 18-44yo: 5.3-12.8). Age and sex-standardized incidence also differed by race (Blacks:18.6-27.2; whites: 14.3-18.5; Asians: 5.1-13.8). On joinpoint regression, incidence increased across 2006-2016 but most of this increase was driven by increase in all age groups of men (combined annualized percentage change (APC) 9.2%, p-value <0.001), women 45-64 yo (APC 7.8%, p-value <0.001) and women ≥65 yo (APC 7.4%, p-value <0.001). Incidence in women 18-44 yo remained unchanged over time . Conclusion: The epidemiological characteristics of CVT patients in the US is changing. Incidence increased significantly over the last decade. Further studies are needed to determine whether this increase represents a true increase from changing risk factors or artefactual increase from improved detection.

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In Reply: Breast-Feeding and Infectious Illness, Power and Confidence Intervals

PEDIATRICS ◽

10.1542/peds.88.5.1080 ◽

1991 ◽

Vol 88 (5) ◽

pp. 1080-1080

Author(s):

J. F. JEKEL ◽

D. H. RUBIN ◽

J. M. LEVENTHAL ◽

P. A. KRASILNIKOFF ◽

B. WEILE

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Middle Class ◽

Confidence Intervals ◽

Breast Feeding ◽

The United States ◽

Feeding Rates ◽

Industrialized Nations ◽

The Us ◽

Infectious Illness ◽

Developed Nations

The issues raised by Hopkinson in her letter in this issue are important questions. Hopkinson doubted that our findings are applicable to the United States, because the overall rate of initiating breast-feeding is different from Denmark. We suggested that our findings could be applied to middle class populations in the US because breast-feeding rates in Denmark are similar for this group, but we stated ". . . nor can they be extrapolated to rural or poor urban populations in developed nations." By not making a distinction between different groups within the US or other industrialized nations, Hopkinson unnecessarily limits the potential implications of our study.

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Abstract 12789: Clinical Factors Associated With Mortality Among Patients Hospitalized for Heart Failure in Egypt

Circulation ◽

10.1161/circ.142.suppl_3.12789 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 142 (Suppl_3) ◽

Author(s):

Ahmed Hassanin ◽

Mahmoud M Hassanein ◽

Madiha F Abdel-maksoud

Keyword(s):

Heart Failure ◽

Hospital Mortality ◽

Univariate Analysis ◽

Elevated Serum ◽

The United States ◽

Clinical Factors ◽

Clinical Variables ◽

Factors Associated ◽

The Us ◽

One Year

Introduction: Heart failure (HF) is a growing public health burden in many low and middle-income countries (LMIC). However, most HF registries were conducted in high income countries, which often have different ethnic and cultural backgrounds from that of LMIC. Hypothesis: Independent clinical variables associated with mortality in patients hospitalized for HF in Egypt are different from those established in the United States (US). Methods: Between 2011 and 2014, 1,660 patients hospitalized for HF were enrolled from 20 centers across Egypt as part of the European Society of Cardiology HF long-term Registry. Deceased patients were compared to survivors, to identify demographic, clinical and biochemical variables associated with in-hospital and one-year mortality. Variables associated with mortality on univariate analysis, and independent variables identified in the Acute Decompensated Heart Failure National Registry (ADHERE) and in the Seattle Heart Failure Model, both based in the US, were entered into the multivariate logistic regression model. Results: In-hospital mortality was 5%. Only two independent clinical factors associated with in-hospital mortality were identified: elevated serum creatinine (sCr), OR=1.47 [95% CI: 1.23, 1.74] for every point increases above one mg/dl; and low admission systolic blood pressure (SBP), OR=1.54; [95% CI: 1.43, 1.65] for every 10 points decrease in SBP below 140 mmHg. At one-year follow up, mortality was 27%. Independent predictors of one-year mortality were: age, OR=1.47; [95% CI: 1.23,1.75] for every 10-year increase above 40; low discharge SBP, OR=1.30 [95% CI: 1.08, 1.52] for every 10 points decrease below 140 mmHg; low ejection fraction, OR=1.51 [95% CI: 0.59,0.73] for every 5 points decrease from 65%; chronic liver disease, OR=3.0 [95% CI: 1.51,5.88]; history of stroke, OR=3.2 [95% CI: 1.52,6.65]. These variables overlapped with those identified in US registries. Conclusions: Independent clinical variables associated with mortality after HF hospitalization in Egypt are similar to those reported in HF registries in the US.

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Risk Factors for Nonunion in Arthroscopic and Open Ankle Arthrodesis

Foot & Ankle Orthopaedics ◽

10.1177/2473011420s00183 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 5 (4) ◽

pp. 2473011420S0018

Author(s):

William T. Davis ◽

Bradley Alexander ◽

Benjamin B. Cage ◽

Elise M. Greco ◽

Charles R. Sutherland ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

External Fixation ◽

Significant Risk ◽

The United States ◽

Ankle Arthrodesis ◽

Open Group ◽

Ankle Arthritis ◽

Patient Factors ◽

Tourniquet Time ◽

Radiographic Union

Category: Ankle; Ankle Arthritis; Arthroscopy Introduction/Purpose: Ankle arthrodesis remains the most popular surgical treatment option for end-stage ankle arthritis (ESAA) among surgeons in the United States. The primary objective endpoint for judging failure versus success of any arthrodesis is radiographic union versus nonunion. Overall, reported union rates in the last two decades have been excellent; however, there does remain significant variation in results with conflicting evidence regarding both treatment and patient factors that are associated with nonunion. We present a relatively large case series of ankle arthrodeses from a single institution with a high-risk patient population with the goal of further clarifying the patient and treatment factors that lead to nonunion. Methods: We conducted a retrospective chart review of 118 patients who underwent primary open or arthroscopic ankle arthrodesis at our institution between November 2014 and April 2019. Revision arthrodesis and patients with a history of complex open fracture were excluded. A minimum 6-month postoperative followup was required. The patients were divided into arthroscopic and open arthrodesis cohorts. The primary outcome measure was radiographic union at 6 months. Patient factors including demographics, BMI, medical comorbidities, and smoking status were analyzed as predictors of nonunion. Likewise, treatment factors such as surgical approach, method of fixation, and tourniquet time were analyzed as predictors of nonunion. Results: Of the 43 individuals that underwent arthroscopic ankle arthrodesis seven progressed to nonunion (16.27%). Among those undergoing open ankle arthrodesis 6 patients out of 46 progressed to nonunion (13.04%). In the arthroscopic cohort, individuals with preoperative lower extremity infection had a significantly higher rate of nonunion compared to those without infection (50.00%, p=0.0447). The open group had two significant predictors of nonunion: use of external fixation and low tourniquet time. Individuals who underwent arthrodesis with the use of an external fixator had a 100% nonunion rate compared to 11.11% for those treated with screws and 0% for those treated with plate fixation (p=0.020). Individuals that had a total tourniquet time under 90 minutes had a non-union rate of 66.67% (p=0.0082). Conclusion: While it was unsurprising that preoperative infection was a significant risk factor for nonunion, it is interesting that this effect was only shown in the arthroscopic group and not the open group. This could have practice implications and warrants further study. Our findings also add to the body of evidence that external fixation is inferior to modern internal fixation techniques for achieving bony fusion. This result may also reflect the poor preoperative prognosis of those requiring external fixation. There remains little evidence that diabetes, smoking, or BMI are significant risk factors for nonunion in primary ankle arthrodesis. [Table: see text]

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Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes of COVID-19–Infected Cancer Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

JNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute ◽

10.1093/jnci/djaa168 ◽

2020 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Hua Zhang ◽

Han Han ◽

Tianhui He ◽

Kristen E Labbe ◽

Adrian V Hernandez ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Systematic Review ◽

Case Fatality Rate ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Univariate Analysis ◽

Case Fatality ◽

The United States ◽

Fatality Rate ◽

Patients With Cancer ◽

Increased Risk

Abstract Background Previous studies have indicated coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients with cancer have a high fatality rate. Methods We conducted a systematic review of studies that reported fatalities in COVID-19 patients with cancer. A comprehensive meta-analysis that assessed the overall case fatality rate and associated risk factors was performed. Using individual patient data, univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to estimate odds ratios (OR) for each variable with outcomes. Results We included 15 studies with 3019 patients, of which 1628 were men; 41.0% were from the United Kingdom and Europe, followed by the United States and Canada (35.7%), and Asia (China, 23.3%). The overall case fatality rate of COVID-19 patients with cancer measured 22.4% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 17.3% to 28.0%). Univariate analysis revealed age (OR = 3.57, 95% CI = 1.80 to 7.06), male sex (OR = 2.10, 95% CI = 1.07 to 4.13), and comorbidity (OR = 2.00, 95% CI = 1.04 to 3.85) were associated with increased risk of severe events (defined as the individuals being admitted to the intensive care unit, or requiring invasive ventilation, or death). In multivariable analysis, only age greater than 65 years (OR = 3.16, 95% CI = 1.45 to 6.88) and being male (OR = 2.29, 95% CI = 1.07 to 4.87) were associated with increased risk of severe events. Conclusions Our analysis demonstrated that COVID-19 patients with cancer have a higher fatality rate compared with that of COVID-19 patients without cancer. Age and sex appear to be risk factors associated with a poorer prognosis.

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Ambulance Crash Characteristics in the US Defined by the Popular Press: A Retrospective Analysis

Emergency Medicine International ◽

10.1155/2010/525979 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 2010 ◽

pp. 1-7 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

Teri L. Sanddal ◽

Nels D. Sanddal ◽

Nicolas Ward ◽

Laura Stanley

Keyword(s):

Prehospital Care ◽

Significant Risk ◽

The United States ◽

Care Providers ◽

Medical Database ◽

Time Period ◽

The Us ◽

Dangerous Place ◽

Safety Restraints ◽

Crash Characteristics

Ambulance crashes are a significant risk to prehospital care providers, the patients they are carrying, persons in other vehicles, and pedestrians. No uniform national transportation or medical database captures all ambulance crashes in the United States. A website captures many significant ambulance crashes by collecting reports in the popular media (the website is mentioned in the introduction). This report summaries findings from ambulance crashes for the time period of May 1, 2007 to April 30, 2009. Of the 466 crashes examined, 358 resulted in injuries to prehospital personnel, other vehicle occupants, patients being transported in the ambulance, or pedestrians. A total of 982 persons were injured as a result of ambulance crashes during the time period. Prehospital personnel were the most likely to be injured. Provider safety can and should be improved by ambulance vehicle redesign and the development of improved occupant safety restraints. Seventy-nine (79) crashes resulted in fatalities to some member of the same groups listed above. A total of 99 persons were killed in ambulance crashes during the time period. Persons in other vehicles involved in collisions with ambulances were the most likely to die as a result of crashes. In the urban environment, intersections are a particularly dangerous place for ambulances.

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