{"title":"Treestrand-Related Injuries Outnumber Projectile-Related Injuries in Arkansas Hunters, 1993-2022.","authors":"Dirk Thomas Haselow","doi":"10.1177/10806032241287774","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Epidemiologic data on hunting-related injuries is sparse. Most published studies in this arena come from case reports or case series from a trauma department or state trauma registry. Relatively few of the studies have attempted to calculate rates of injury by demographic characteristics or hunting-related activities. In this study, we summarize the epidemiologic trends in hunting-related injuries in Arkansas over the last 30 years.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A descriptive analysis of hunter injury data collected by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission from 1993 to 2022 was performed.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Analyses showed that the overall number of hunting-related injuries decreased by 0.16 per 100,000 licensees per year during the study period (<i>P</i>=0.0009). Projectile-related injuries decreased by 0.24 per 100,000 licensees (<i>P</i>=0.00001), and treestand-related injuries increased by 0.06 per 100,000 licensees (<i>P</i>=0.02) during the same time (both trends <i>P</i><0.00001). treestand-related injuries now account for two thirds of all hunting-related injuries reported to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. Among hunters subject to hunter education certification mandates, compliance was 48.7%.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Although projectile-related hunting injuries have decreased in Arkansas in the last 30 years, treestand-related hunting injuries have increased. These injuries are largely preventable if the hunter follows treestand safety recommendations (such as using a body harness and tether at all times when off the ground), as recommended by the Treestand Manufacturers of America. In addition, implementing strategies to improve compliance with hunter education certification also may help reduce injury rates.</p>","PeriodicalId":49360,"journal":{"name":"Wilderness & Environmental Medicine","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.4000,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Wilderness & Environmental Medicine","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1177/10806032241287774","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2024/10/21 0:00:00","PubModel":"Epub","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"PUBLIC, ENVIRONMENTAL & OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Introduction: Epidemiologic data on hunting-related injuries is sparse. Most published studies in this arena come from case reports or case series from a trauma department or state trauma registry. Relatively few of the studies have attempted to calculate rates of injury by demographic characteristics or hunting-related activities. In this study, we summarize the epidemiologic trends in hunting-related injuries in Arkansas over the last 30 years.
Methods: A descriptive analysis of hunter injury data collected by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission from 1993 to 2022 was performed.
Results: Analyses showed that the overall number of hunting-related injuries decreased by 0.16 per 100,000 licensees per year during the study period (P=0.0009). Projectile-related injuries decreased by 0.24 per 100,000 licensees (P=0.00001), and treestand-related injuries increased by 0.06 per 100,000 licensees (P=0.02) during the same time (both trends P<0.00001). treestand-related injuries now account for two thirds of all hunting-related injuries reported to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. Among hunters subject to hunter education certification mandates, compliance was 48.7%.
Conclusions: Although projectile-related hunting injuries have decreased in Arkansas in the last 30 years, treestand-related hunting injuries have increased. These injuries are largely preventable if the hunter follows treestand safety recommendations (such as using a body harness and tether at all times when off the ground), as recommended by the Treestand Manufacturers of America. In addition, implementing strategies to improve compliance with hunter education certification also may help reduce injury rates.
期刊介绍:
Wilderness & Environmental Medicine, the official journal of the Wilderness Medical Society, is the leading journal for physicians practicing medicine in austere environments. This quarterly journal features articles on all aspects of wilderness medicine, including high altitude and climbing, cold- and heat-related phenomena, natural environmental disasters, immersion and near-drowning, diving, and barotrauma, hazardous plants/animals/insects/marine animals, animal attacks, search and rescue, ethical and legal issues, aeromedial transport, survival physiology, medicine in remote environments, travel medicine, operational medicine, and wilderness trauma management. It presents original research and clinical reports from scientists and practitioners around the globe. WEM invites submissions from authors who want to take advantage of our established publication''s unique scope, wide readership, and international recognition in the field of wilderness medicine. Its readership is a diverse group of medical and outdoor professionals who choose WEM as their primary wilderness medical resource.