Calder C J, Kirby R L
Department of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
Am J Phys Med Rehabil. 1990 Aug;69(4):184-90. doi: 10.1097/00002060-199008000-00003.
Of the 3.3 of every 1000 persons in the United States who use a wheelchair, an estimated 3.3% per year have a serious wheelchair-related accident. Yet, only isolated case reports of fatal accidents have appeared. To obtain a better estimate of the incidence and nature of fatal accidents, a search was carried out of the death certificate database (1973-1987) of the National Information Clearinghouse of the Consumer Product Safety Commission; 770 wheelchair-related deaths were identified. The majority, 596 persons (77.4%), experienced a fall from their chairs or tipped over. Of 85 deaths (11%) caused by environmental factors, stairs were implicated in 51 (60.0%). Of 48 fatal burns (6.2%), 27 (57.3%) were related to smoking. Asphyxia owing to restraints occurred in 44 persons (5.7%) of all ages and caused 10 of the 17 deaths (58.8%) among persons 1-20 yr old. Wheelchair-related accidental death is uncommon (about 0.2% of serious accidents per year), but some types of accidents appear to be preventable.
在美国，每1000名使用轮椅的人中，约有3.3人每年发生一起与轮椅相关的严重事故。然而，仅出现过个别致命事故的报告。为了更好地估计致命事故的发生率和性质，对消费品安全委员会国家信息交换中心的死亡证明数据库（1973 - 1987年）进行了检索；共识别出770例与轮椅相关的死亡案例。其中大多数，即596人（77.4%）是从轮椅上跌落或翻倒。在85例（11%）由环境因素导致的死亡中，楼梯导致了51例（60.0%）。在48例致命烧伤（6.2%）中，27例（57.3%）与吸烟有关。因约束导致的窒息发生在各年龄段的44人（5.7%）中，在1 - 20岁人群的17例死亡中导致了10例（58.8%）。与轮椅相关的意外死亡并不常见（每年约占严重事故的0.2%），但某些类型的事故似乎是可以预防的。
