1. Lip and tooth injuries at public swimming pools in Austria.
- Author
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Lechner, Katharina, Connert, Thomas, Kühl, Sebastian, and Filippi, Andreas
- Subjects
SWIMMING injuries ,TEETH injuries ,LIPS ,SWIMMING pool accidents ,WATER slides ,FIRST aid in illness & injury ,DENTAL extraction ,WOUNDS & injuries ,INTERVIEWING ,SWIMMING ,RETROSPECTIVE studies - Abstract
Background/aims: There is an increased risk of orofacial injuries in swimming pool facilities. Nevertheless, only a few studies have addressed this issue. The aim of this study was to identify the frequency of lip and tooth injuries at public swimming pools in Austria. A further aim was to examine which gender and age groups were affected, where and why these injuries occurred, and whether pool attendants had sufficient knowledge of dental first-aid measures.Material and Methods: A total of 764 pool attendants in Austria were contacted by telephone and 689 participated in the study (90.2%). The attendants were interviewed retrospectively about accident occurrences in 2014 by a standardized questionnaire. Responses to the provision of first aid and choice of storage medium for avulsed teeth were subsequently evaluated.Results: The frequency of lip injuries was 19.0%, and tooth injuries were 11.3%. Male bathers (P < .05) and children under 12 years (P < .001) most frequently suffered injuries. The waterslide was the most common accident site. The most common cause of lip injuries was slipping on wet surfaces (39.0%), and for tooth injuries it was collisions with other persons or objects (each 28.1%). The pool attendants' responses were predominantly good or sufficient on first aid, with the exception of what storage medium to choose. Tooth rescue boxes were available in only 8.6% of all pool facilities.Conclusion: Orofacial injuries are a frequently occurring problem in swimming pool facilities. The pool attendants' knowledge on first-aid care of tooth injuries could still be improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]- Published
- 2017
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