Current Practices in Injury Prevention and Safety Helmet Use in an Air Force Medical Center

摘要

Studies show that motorcycle and bicycle helmets reduce injuries and fatalities and lower health care costs. A Department of Defense (DoD) survey conducted in 1995 found that helmet use among active duty military motorcyclists and bicyclists was below the standards set by Healthy People 2000 objectives. In the United States, head injuries are the primary cause of death for both motorcycle crashes (3,500 death per year) and bicycle crashes (900 deaths per year). In addition, approximately one half of rollerblading deaths are due to head injuries. Head injuries account for more than 50,000 deaths annually and the same number of head injury victims are left with disabilities each year. Given these alarming statistics, this researcher wanted to know what primary care providers in the Air Force are doing to educate there patients on head injury prevention. The purpose of this descriptive study was to examine safety helmet use and the current practices in head injury prevention in an Air Force Medical Center. There were a total of 65 active duty members that had diagnosis codes identifying them as having been treated for a head injury at Malcom Grow between January 1, 1998 and November 30, 1999. Of these 65 individuals, data was available for review on 55 of these 65 individuals. The findings from this data was unexpected. Only one of these 55 individuals received head injury in which a helmet is required or recommended. Most head injuries that involved a sport were sustained while playing basketball, football or baseball. Most common head injuries that did not involve a sport were sustained as a result of a fight or assault, or in a motor vehicle accident.