School bus-related injuries among children and teenagers in the United States, 2001-2003.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this work was to describe the epidemiology of nonfatal school bus-related injuries among children and teenagers aged < or = 19 years in the United States.


METHODS
Nationally representative data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System All-Injury Program operated by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission were analyzed. Case subjects included all of the patients in the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System All-Injury Program database who were treated in a hospital emergency department for a nonfatal school bus-related injury from 2001 to 2003.


RESULTS
There were an estimated 51,100 school bus-related injuries treated in US emergency departments from 2001 to 2003, for a national estimate of 17,000 injuries (rate: 21.0 per 100,000 population) annually. Ninety-seven percent of children were treated and released from the hospital. Children 10 to 14 years of age accounted for the greatest proportion of injuries (43.0%; rate: 34.7) compared with all other age groups. Motor vehicle crashes accounted for 42.3% of all injuries, followed by injuries that occurred as the child was boarding/alighting/approaching the bus (23.8%). Head injuries accounted for more than half (52.1%) of all injuries among children < 10 years of age, whereas lower extremity injuries predominated among children 10 to 19 years of age (25.5%). Strains and sprains accounted for the highest percentage of all injuries, followed by contusions and abrasions (28.3%) and lacerations (14.9%). More than three quarters (77.7%) of lacerations were to the head.


CONCLUSIONS
This is the first study to describe nonfatal school bus-related injuries to US children and teenagers treated in US hospital emergency departments using a national sample. This study identified a much greater annual number of school bus-related injuries to children than reported previously.
McGeehan
Jennifer
J
Center for Innovation in Pediatric Practice, Columbus Children's Research Institute, Children's Hospital, 700 Children's Dr, Columbus, OH 43205-2664, USA. mcgeehaj@ccri.net
Annest
Joseph L
JL
Vajani
Madhavi
M
Bull
Marilyn J
MJ
Agran
Phyllis E
PE
Smith
Gary A
GA
D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001336:Automobiles; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology*