Prevention of spinal injuries from diving in Slovenia.

Injury of the cervical spine involving the spinal cord such as results from diving into shallow water causes very severe disability. In spite of progress in medical science, results of the treatment and rehabilitation of such patients are not satisfactory. Every effort should be undertaken to give young swimmers, the most frequent victims of diving injuries, proper instructions to prevent spinal cord injury. A broadly conceived national prevention programme, developed under the catch-phrase 'Do Not Jump into the Unknown', has been under way in Slovenia during the past 3 years, and has been promoted in collaboration with the Health Protection Institute of Slovenia. In these years the number of new spinal cord injuries decreased (one-two per year), but it is too early to conclude that this is the result of the prevention activities. But it is obvious that knowledge of this type of injury is now much more widespread.