Overview of Emergency Department Visits Related to Injuries, by Cause of Injury

Injuries are common and can have many causes, such as falls, cuts, motor vehicle accidents, bites, poisoning, and hot objects. In 2017, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated unintentional falls were the leading cause of injuries treated in the emergency department (ED).

Overview of Emergency Department Visits Related to Injuries, by Cause of Injury, a statistical brief from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project, presents statistics on ED visits related to injuries.

Highlights

• Falls were the most common cause of injuries treated in the ED in 2017, accounting for approximately one-third of the 26.5 million ED visits related to injuries for which a cause of injury was reported.  
• Overall, 10 percent of ED visits related to injuries for all injury causes were admitted or transferred to another hospital, but the percentage was more than 30 percent for ED visits related to injuries caused by suffocation, firearms, and poisoning (77.6, 41.9, and 33.6 percent, respectively).
• Population rates of ED visits related to injuries were highest for the oldest adults (65+ years), among individuals residing in the lowest income communities, and among individuals residing in rural areas.
• Population rates of ED visits related to injuries caused by being cut/pierced were nearly twice as high for males compared with females. Rates were nearly twice as high for ED visits related to injuries caused by motor vehicle accidents in the lowest income communities compared with the highest income communities.
• Private insurance was the most common expected payer for ED visits related to injuries caused by motor vehicle accidents (51.8 percent). Medicare was the most common expected payer for ED visits related to injuries caused by falls (37.9 percent).

Select to access Overview of Emergency Department Visits Related to Injuries, by Cause of Injury.