title: Softball injuries treated in US EDs, 1994 to 2010.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Softball is a popular participant sport in the United States. This study investigated the epidemiology of softball injuries with comparisons between children and adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System for patients 7 years and older treated in an emergency department (ED) for a softball injury from 1994 through 2010 were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  An estimated 2107823 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1736417-2479229) patients were treated in US EDs for a softball injury during the 17-year study period. The annual number of injuries decreased by 23.0% from 1994 to 2010 (P < .001); however, during the last 6 years of the study, injuries increased by 11.7% (P = .008). The annual rate of softball injuries increased significantly during the study period (P = .035). The most commonly injured body regions were the hand/wrist (22.2%) and face (19.3%). Being hit by a ball was the most common mechanism of injury (52.4%) and accounted for most of face (89.6%) and head (75.7%) injuries. Injuries associated with running (relative risk, 2.36; 95% CI, 1.97-2.82) and diving for a ball (relative risk, 4.61; 95% CI, 3.50-6.09) were more likely to occur among adult than pediatric patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  To our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate softball injuries using a nationally representative sample. Softball is a common source of injury among children and adults. Increased efforts are needed to promote safety measures, such as face guards, mouth guards, safety softballs, and break-away bases, to decrease these injuries.
authors.affiliation: Center for Injury Research and Policy, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA.
authors.forename: John C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Birchak
authors.forename: Lynne M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Rochette
authors.forename: Gary A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001484:Baseball / Q000293:injuries*; D002648:Child; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005151:Facial Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult