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The U.S. age-adjusted suicide rate is 35% higher than two decades ago and the COVID-19 pandemic era highlighted the urgent need to address nonfatal self-harm, particularly among youth. This study aimed to report the estimated annual economic cost of U.S. suicide and nonfatal self-harm. In 2023 CDC's WISQARS Cost of Injury provided the retrospective number of suicides and nonfatal self-harm injury emergency department (ED) visits from national surveillance sources by sex and age group, as well as the estimated annual economic cost of associated medical spending, lost work productivity, reduced quality of life from injury morbidity, and avoidable mortality based on the value of statistical life during 2015–2020. The economic cost of suicide and nonfatal self-harm averaged $510 billion (2020 USD) annually, the majority from life years lost to suicide. Working-aged adults (aged 25–64 years) comprised nearly 75% of the average annual economic cost of suicide ($356B of $484B) and children and younger adults (aged 10–44 years) comprised nearly 75% of the average annual economic cost of nonfatal self-harm injuries ($19B of $26B). Suicide and self-harm have substantial societal costs. Measuring the consequences in terms of comprehensive economic cost can inform investments in suicide prevention strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While an increasing number of households are keeping rodents as pets, rats and mice are considered pests and efforts are undertaken to control rodent populations to avoid human-rodent encounters. Tracking the burden of rodent bite injuries can guide prevention efforts. Data for this study were from the 2001-2015 National Electronic Injury Surveillance System-All Injury Program (NEISS-AIP), a stratified probability sample of U.S. hospitals. Records included information about age, body part affected, cause, diagnosis, case disposition, and sex. We coded narrative descriptions for the source of the bite. Every year, an estimated 12,700 injuries from rodent bites are treated in emergency departments, amounting to roughly one rodent bite injury treated every hour. Rats, mice, and squirrels were the most frequently reported rodents that bit people. The largest percentage of bites, approximately 27%, occurred in individuals, Introduction Rodents (over 1,400 species worldwide) can cause damage to crops (both in the field and in storage), forestry, nursery and ornamental plants, rangeland, cable, and irrigation pipes; they also [...]

Objective: To investigate whether the presence of fraternities and sororities was associated with a higher local injury rate among undergraduate-age youth. Methods: In 2016 we compared the rate of 2010-2013 youth (18-24 years) emergency department (ED) visits for injuries in Hospital Service Areas (HSA) with and without fraternities and sororities. ED visits were identified in the State Emergency Department Database (n = 1,560 hospitals, 1,080 HSAs, 16 states). US Census Bureau and National Center for Education Statistics sources identified HSA population and campus (n = 659) characteristics. A proprietary database identified campuses with fraternities and sororities (n = 287). ED visits explicitly linked to fraternities and sororities in the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System--All Injury Program were used to identify injury causes for sub-group analysis. Results: HSAs serving campuses with fraternities and sororities had lower age 18-24 injury rates for all causes except firearm injuries (no difference). Conclusions: Fraternities and sororities were not associated with a higher injury rate at the population level among undergraduate-age youth. A major limitation is not being able to observe campus health services utilization.

Objectives. We sought to examine the prevalence of reciprocal (i.e., perpetrated by both partners) and nonreciprocal intimate partner violence and to determine whether reciprocity is related to violence frequency and injury. Methods. We analyzed data on young US adults aged 18 to 28 years from the 2001 National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, which contained information about partner violence and injury reported by 11 370 respondents on 18761 heterosexual relationships. Results. Almost 24% of all relationships had some violence, and half (49.7%) of those were reciprocally violent. In nonreciprocally violent relationships, women were the perpetrators in more than 70% of the cases. Reciprocity was associated with more frequent violence among women (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.3; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.9, 2.8), but not men (AOR= 1.26; 95% CI = 0.9, 1.7). Regarding injury, men were more likely to inflict injury than were women (AOR = 1.3; 95% CI = 1.1, 1.5), and reciprocal intimate partner violence was associated with greater injury than was nonreciprocal intimate partner violence regardless of the gender of the perpetrator (AOR = 4.4; 95% CI = 3.6, 5.5). Conclusions. The context of the violence (reciprocal vs nonreciprocal) is a strong predictor of reported injury. Prevention approaches that address the escalation of partner violence may be needed to address reciprocal violence.

Objective To quantify and describe non-fatal, unintentional bathroom injuries among children less than 15 years of age treated in US hospital emergency departments (EDs). Methods This study used 2008 data from a nationally representative sample of EDs, available from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System-All Injury Program. We examined unintentional non-fatal bathroom injuries in any setting (eg, home, school or public place) among children less than 15 years of age and identified types of injuries, major locations within the bathroom and precipitating events. Results Based on 1099 cases, an estimated 51 132 non-fatal bathroom injuries in children less than 15 years of age were treated in US EDs in 2008. Most injuries (73.8%) were caused by falls. The highest rate was for injuries that occurred in or around the shower or bathtub (65.9 per 100 000). Children less than 15 years of age sustained the greatest number of injuries and had the highest injury rate (151 per 100 000 (95% CI 108.7 to 193.3)), while children 10-14 years of age had the lowest rate (28.7 (95% CI 20.6 to 36.8)). The rates differed significantly by age group (p<0.001). A majority of the patients (96.9%) were treated in the ED and released. Conclusions Most bathroom injuries in children occurred while they were showering or bathing and were caused by falling or hitting an object. Such injuries might be reduced by improving caregiver supervision for younger children. For older children, a combination of bathroom safety education and environmental modifications, such as installing grab bars inside and outside the shower or tub, may reduce bathroom injuries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the results of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) analysis of the 2001-2009 National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS)-All Injury Program data to examine the incidence of nonfatal sports and recreation heat illness. About 5,946 persons were treated in U.S. emergency departments (EDs) per year due to heat illness acquired from sport or recreational activity participation.