Farm-related injury presenting to an Australian base hospital.
OBJECTIVE
Data concerning farm-related injuries were collected from the Emergency Department at Tamworth Base Hospital over a 12-month period from 1 September 1997.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of the study was to collect information at a local level to establish baselines with a view to developing prevention strategies. All people who presented with a farm injury or illness to the emergency department participated in the study.


RESULTS
During this period there were 384 injuries, of which nearly three-quarters were males (72.2%). Four injuries were fatal. The average rate of injury per 100 farms per annum in the service area of the Hospital was 30 per 100 farms (range 9-80 per 100 farms, per annum). Half (54.1%) of the people injured were employed at the time of the injury. Horses (21.1%) and motorcycles (15.8%) were the two most common injury agents.


CONCLUSIONS
The information gained can be used to direct injury prevention at a local level and may be also used at the national level as a guide when grouped with other similar studies of different commodity groups.
Franklin
Richard C
RC
Australian Centre for Agricultural Health and Safety, Department of Rural Health, University of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. rfranklin@health.usyd.edu.au
Davies
John N
JN
D000061:Accidents, Home / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000062:Accidents, Occupational / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000383:Agriculture; D002423:Cause of Death; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006780:Hospitals, Rural / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D020380:Needs Assessment; D009517:New South Wales / Q000453:epidemiology; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires