The Clinical Characteristics of Amusement-park-related Injuries

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: There are no reports on amusement-park-related injuries in Korea. Thus, the objective of this study was to describe traumatic injury patterns that occurring in an amusement park. METHODS: The medical records of an infirmary were retrospectively reviewed. From January 1, 2008, to December 31 2008, patients who were transferred to the nearest emergency departments of hospitals for the purpose of further test and treatment were enrolled. Demographics, injury types and involved parts of the body were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 3,608 patients visited an infirmary for traumatic injury and about two-thirds had soft tissue injuries. Of those, 191 patients (5.3%) were transferred to the emergency department of a hospital. Of the patients who were transferred to a hospital, laceration and contusion were the responsible injuries for about half. Laceration was the most common injury in pediatric patients, and a sprain or a strain was the most common in adult patients. The most commonly injured parts of the body were the extremities in adult patients. However, in pediatric patients, injuries of the head, face and neck were similar to injuries of the extremities. CONCLUSION: Soft tissue injury was the most common amusement-park-related injury. Laceration was the most common reason to transfer a patient to a hospital. There were differences in injury type and injured part of the body between adult and pediatric patients.