US pediatric injuries involving amusement rides, 1990-2010.

This study investigates pediatric injuries involving amusement rides treated in US emergency departments by retrospectively analyzing data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System. From 1990 to 2010, an estimated 92 885 children ≤17 years sought treatment in US hospital emergency departments for injuries involving amusement rides, yielding an annual average of 4423 injuries. The average annual injury rate was 6.24 injuries per 100 000 US children, and the mean patient age was 8.73 years. The head and neck was the most commonly injured body region (28.0%), and the most common type of injury was a soft tissue injury (29.4%). Falling in, on, off, or against the ride was the most frequent mechanism of injury (31.7%). Only 1.5% of injuries resulted in hospitalization. An improved national system for monitoring injuries involving amusement rides is needed. There are opportunities to improve the safety of amusement rides for children, especially to prevent injuries from falls.