title: Morbidity associated with golf-related injuries among children: findings from a pediatric trauma center.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe injuries due to golf-related activities among pediatric patients requiring hospital admission.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a retrospective analysis of all sports-related injuries from 2000 to 2006 using a level 1 trauma center database.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 1005 children admitted with sports-related injuries, 60 (6%) had golf-related injuries. The mean injury severity score was significantly higher for golf-related injuries (11.0) than that for all other sports-related injuries (6.8). Most golf-related injuries occurred in children younger than 12 years (80%), at home (48%), and by a strike from a club (57%) and resulted in trauma to the head or neck (68%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Golf-related injuries, although an infrequent cause of sports-related injuries, have the potential to result in severe injuries, especially in younger children. Preventive efforts should target use of golf clubs by younger children in the home setting.
authors.affiliation: Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15224, USA. melissa.vitale@chp.edu
authors.forename: Melissa A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Vitale
authors.forename: Kristen J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Mertz
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gaines
authors.forename: Noel S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Zuckerbraun
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006055:Golf / Q000293:injuries*; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D009017:Morbidity / Q000639:trends; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014193:Trauma Centers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015599:Trauma Severity Indices; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*