title: Injuries sustained at Yellowstone National Park requiring emergency medical system activation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Outdoor-related activity has been on the rise in recent years, and hiking and backpacking are among those activities with the largest growth in participation. As the number of participants with varying experience increases, it is expected that there will be an increase in injuries related to these activities. Little empirical data exist related to outdoor injury types and rates. Our objectives were to determine incidence and frequency of injuries related to outdoor activity and requiring emergency medical system (EMS) activation at a national park.
  
  
  METHODS
  This retrospective study examines injuries within Yellowstone National Park. Subjects were selected from a database containing all EMS calls within Yellowstone National Park from calendar year 2003 through 2004. Data collected included age, gender, type of injury, location, activity at the time of injury, and EMS response.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 306 injuries reviewed. The mean age of patients was 40.9 years (SD: 23.0), and the group comprised 49.0% males. Emergency medical system transport was not required in 59.2% of injuries, and of those transported, 58.4% of patients required basic life support only. Of all injuries, 77.4% involved soft tissue, including lacerations. Hiking and walking accounted for 38.0% of all injuries, and 56.0% of those injuries involved the lower extremity. Only 8.8% of the injuries involved fractures and/or dislocations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this study of EMS responses at a national park, the majority of injuries sustained were minor in nature. More than one third of injuries occurred while patients were hiking or walking, and most of those injuries involved the lower extremity. These results will help optimize resource planning in the national park setting.
authors: Resurrection Emergency Medicine Residency Program, Resurrection Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois 60631, USA.
authors: Randy M
authors: RM
authors: Johnson
authors: Brian
authors: B
authors: Huettl
authors: Valerie
authors: V
authors: Kocsis
authors: Shu B
authors: SB
authors: Chan
authors: Mary Frances
authors: MF
authors: Kordick
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D016208:Databases, Factual; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007061:Idaho / Q000453:epidemiology; D015994:Incidence; D035002:Lower Extremity / Q000293:injuries; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records; D009009:Montana / Q000453:epidemiology; D009051:Mountaineering / Q000293:injuries*; D011633:Public Facilities; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012621:Seasons; D014959:Wyoming / Q000453:epidemiology