Factors associated with emergency department visits for television tip-over-related injuries in children in the United States, 2002-2011: A descriptive epidemiological analysis

Background: In the last decade, more than 122,000 children were treated in emergency departments for injuries from TV tip-overs. This research identifies recent trends in these injuries. Methods: We analyzed data from U.S. CPSC NEISS of patients aged 19 and under seen for injuries involving televisions from 2002 to 2011. Individual case narratives were reviewed to determine if instability was a factor in the injury. Results: From 2002 to 2011, an estimated 122,335 children aged 19 and under were seen in EDs for TV tip-over related injuries. The number of cases rose 30.6% from 9,803 (95% CI: 7,905-11,702) to 12,802 (95% CI: 10,885-14,719). The annual incidence injury rate per 100,000 children peaked in 2010, at 18.2 injuries per 100,000 children. Children aged 5 and under were most frequently seen, representing 71.7% of all cases, and the head (37.3%) and the foot (13.8%) were the most commonly involved body parts. 37.6% (95% CI: 33.7%, 41.5%) of TV-related injuries also involved a piece of furniture, most frequently desks/ bureaus (20,254 injuries), television tables/stands (9,189 injuries); and cabinets/shelves (5,925 injuries). Conclusions: Injuries among children from television tip-overs are rising, and there are multiple barriers for parents when selecting a safe position for their television. The findings from this analysis are supported by results of a recent survey which found that only 28% of parents secure their flat screens to the wall, and 2% of parents secure CRTs. Flat screens were most commonly positioned on a TV stand (48%) or an entertainment center (33%).