title: Assault by battery: battery-related injury in the head and neck.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To estimate nationwide incidence of emergency department (ED) visits for battery-related injury (BRI) occurring in the head and neck, and analyze demographic and anatomic-specific trends.
  
  
  METHODS
  The National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) was searched for BRI in the head and neck, with analysis for incidence, anatomic site, age and gender, and specific diagnoses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were an estimated 18,803 head and neck BRI ED visits from 2003 to 2012. A total of 65.8% of patients were male. A total of 92.8% of patients were treated/examined and then released, and 4.7% of patients were admitted. A plurality (34.2%) of patients had BRI related to nose injures, and this represented the youngest cohort (median: 3 years old). The vast majority of ear and nose diagnoses were "foreign bodies"; two-thirds of mouth injuries were related to burns, whereas lacerations predominated in the face and head. Nearly half of ED visits involved patients between 2 and 5 years of age. A total of 45.2% of cases involving patients ≥ 65 years of age were related to hearing aid batteries as foreign bodies.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  BRI in the head and neck results in a significant amount of ED visits. Mechanisms of injury vary by age and anatomic location, but a considerable male predilection exists. Whereas pediatric patients are primarily affected, particularly patients between 2 to 5 years of age, injuries do occur among adults. Importantly, the prevalence of dislodged hearing-aid batteries in the elderly necessitates comprehensive patient education to increase awareness and counseling regarding this complication. Awareness of demographic and anatomic-specific trends reported in this analysis may be an invaluable adjunct for history-taking and clinical examination.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan.
authors.forename: Peter F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Svider
authors.forename: Andrew P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Adam J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Folbe
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Carron
authors.forename: Jean Anderson
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Eloy
authors.forename: Giancarlo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zuliani
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D004556:Electric Injuries / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019838:Neck Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Battery-related injury; National Electronic Injury Surveillance System; batteries; chemical burns; foreign bodies; thermal burns