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CDC study reveals magnitude of injuries in the United States

Physician Practice Advisor, September 3, 2004

In 2001, 157,000-or eighteen people every hour-died from injuries in the United States, according to the first national report for both fatal and nonfatal injuries released September 2 by the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions (CDC).

Unintentional injury is the fifth leading cause of death in the United States and about one in every three people treated in an emergency department is treated for an injury. CDC researchers also noted that in 2001, an estimated 29.7 million people, or one in 10 U.S. residents, were treated for nonfatal injuries in hospital emergency departments and 1.6 million were hospitalized or transferred for specialized medical care. Traumatic brain injuries are a leading cause of injury deaths, accounting for about 50,000 deaths each year. More than 1.2 million cases of traumatic brain injuries were treated in 2001.

This magnitude of injuries cost U.S. residents an estimated $117 billion in medical care costs annually.

Go to www.cdc.gov for the full report.

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