Emergency department presentations for injuries associated with inflatable amusement structures, Canada, 1990-2009.

INTRODUCTION: Inflatable amusement attractions, structures that are air-supported and inflated by a blower, have recently gained popularity. The purpose of this study was to describe the epidemiology of inflatable-related injuries presenting to Canadian emergency departments. METHODS: The Canadian Hospitals Injury Reporting and Prevention Program (CHIRPP) is an injury and poisoning surveillance system presently operating in the emergency departments of all 11 pediatric and 4 general hospitals across Canada. The CHIRPP was searched for cases of injuries associated with commercial inflatable amusement structures. RESULTS: Overall, 674 cases were identified over the 20-year surveillance period, during which time the average annual percent increase was 24.6% (95% CI: 21.6, 27.7). Children aged 2 to 9 years were the most frequently injured (59.3/100,000 CHIRPP cases), and fractures accounted for 34.5% of all injuries. DISCUSSION: A sharp increase in emergency department visits for injuries associated with commercial inflatable amusement structures has been observed in recent years. Injury mechanisms could be mitigated by product design modifications and stricter business operational practices.

TITLE: Blessures associées aux jeux gonflables traitées dans des services d'urgence au Canada, 1990-2009. INTRODUCTION: Les jeux gonflables, à savoir des structures de jeu alimentées par une soufflerie, ont récemment gagné en popularité. Cette étude visait à décrire l'épidémiologie des blessures liées aux jeux gonflables traitées dans des services d'urgence au Canada. MÉTHODOLOGIE: Le Système canadien hospitalier d'information et de recherche en prévention des traumatismes (SCHIRPT) est un système de surveillance des blessures et des intoxications mis en œuvre dans le service d'urgence de 4 hôpitaux généraux et des 11 hôpitaux pour enfants du Canada. Nous avons consulté le SCHIRPT pour trouver des cas de blessures associées aux jeux gonflables commerciaux. RÉSULTATS: Nous avons recensé 674 cas sur la période de surveillance de 20 ans, et nous avons observé une augmentation annuelle moyenne de 24,6 % (IC à 95 % : 21,6 à 27,7) pendant cette période. Les enfants de 2 à 9 ans étaient le plus fréquemment touchés (59,3/100 000 cas figurant dans le SCHIRPT), et les fractures représentaient 34,5 % des blessures subies. CONCLUSION: Nous avons observé une augmentation marquée, au cours des dernières années, des visites aux services d'urgence pour des blessures associées à des jeux gonflables commerciaux. On pourrait agir sur les mécanismes lésionnels en modifiant la conception des produits et en s'assurant que les entreprises œuvrant dans le domaine resserrent leurs pratiques.

Influence of viewing professional ice hockey on youth hockey injuries.

INTRODUCTION: Most televised National Hockey League (NHL) games include violent body checks, illegal hits and fights. We postulated that minor league players imitated these behaviours and that not seeing these games would reduce the rate of injuries among younger hockey players. METHODS: Using a quasi-experimental design, we compared 7 years of televised NHL matches (2002-2009) with the year of the NHL lock-out (2004/2005). Data from the Canadian Hospitals Injury Reporting and Prevention Program (CHIRPP) were used to identify the injuries and to ascertain whether they were due to intentional contact and illegal acts including fights. RESULTS: We found no significant differences in the proportions of all injuries and those involving intentional contact, violations or illegal acts among male minor league hockey players during the year when professional players were locked out and the years before and after the lock-out. CONCLUSION: We concluded that not seeing televised NHL violence may not reduce injuries, although a possible effect may have been obscured because there was a striking increase in attendance at equally violent minor league games during the lock-out.

Changing epidemiology of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Alberta, Canada: population-based surveillance, 2005-2008.

SUMMARYIncreasing prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has been reported in Canada. We report the results of a prospective surveillance of MRSA infections in Alberta over a consecutive 3-year period. A total of 8910 unique clinical MRSA isolates was analysed from July 2005 to June 2008. The incidence of MRSA infection increased over the study period and was highest in males, age group ⩾85 years, and the Calgary Area. CMRSA10 (USA300) and CMRSA2 (USA100/800) were the most common PFGE strain types, representing 53·0% and 27·9% of all isolates, respectively. Significant differences were noted between MRSA strains in the source of infection and antimicrobial susceptibility. The incidence of MRSA infection in Alberta has nearly doubled in the last 3 years; this is attributed to the emergence of CMRSA10 as the predominant strain.