The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #35776

Lois Fingerhut, MA, Office of Analysis, Epidemiology and Health Promotion, NCHS/CDC, 6525 Belcrest Road, Room 750, Hyattsville, MD 20782, 301-458-4213, lfingerhut@cdc.gov

Injury mortality data are most often analyzed to determine the underlying cause of death, that is, the external event or circumstance that initiated the sequence of events leading to death. However, additional data listed on the death certificate describe the regions of the body and nature of injuries sustained in fatal injury events. These data are referred to as "multiple cause of death data". This presentation will examine the kinds injuries sustained in the leading causes of injury death. In 1999, 148,286 persons died with an underlying cause of death listed as injury, with a total of 230,028 injury conditions listed on their death certificates, or an average of 1.5 injury conditions per death certificate. Using the multiple cause data, we know that victims of pedal cyclist deaths are more likely than other transportation-related deaths to incur head injuries. In looking at intent of death, suicide victims more often suffer head injuries than do victims of homicides or unintentional injury deaths and those deaths certified as undetermined intent have relatively high proportions of poisoning conditions listed on their certificates. The findings from the multiple cause data are not generally referenced in the injury mortality literature, however, they offer a wealth of additional insight into injury deaths. Multiple cause of death data should be added to routine publications of injury mortality to further define injury deaths

Learning Objectives:

• At the conclusion of this paper, participants will be able to recognize multiple cause of death data for injury; will be able to describe the most common injuries sustained in the leading causes of injury death; and will be able to appreciate the need for ongoing surveillance of injury conditions.

Keywords: Mortality, Injuries

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: National Center for Health Statistics
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.