Injury surveillance in emergency departments in 5 counties/Cities of Zhejiang Province from 2004 to 2006

Objective This study was conducted to analyze the status of injury in Zhejiang Province so as to provide scientific evidence for injury interventions. Methods Injury surveillance data in emergency departments from 15 hospitals of 5 counties/cities in Zhejiang Province were analyzed. Results A total of 42 130 cases were reported in 2 years, with the gender radio of males and females being 1.99∶1. The leading causes of injury were falls, road traffic injury, hit / struck /crush, cutting/piercing and animal bites. The settings of injury were mainly on urban streets, home and workplaces. The activities at time of injury were mainly leisure and working (the way going to work was included). Most injuries were unintentional and the severity of injury were minor to moderate degree. The months when injuries occurred most were August and September, and the rush hours in one day were 8:00-11:00 and 14:00-16:00. The soft tissue and skeletal system were the most commonly traumatized systems, and the body of injury were mainly on head, upper limbs and lower limbs. Conclusion The injury surveillance in emergency departments is an important resource to obtain the information on non-fatal injuries. It has positive effects on identifying the focus of injury intervention, implementing specific measures and decreasing the occurrence of injury