Water polo-related injuries among adolescents and young adults treated at emergency departments

Mathias B. Forrester

doi:10.1515/ijamh-2020-0118

Article

Water polo-related injuries among adolescents and young adults treated at emergency departments

Mathias B. Forrester

Published/Copyright: August 24, 2020

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From the journal International Journal of Adolescent Medicine and Health Volume 34 Issue 6

Abstract

Objectives

Water polo is a physically demanding contact sport involving swimming, overhead throwing, and wrestling/defending that can result in acute injuries. The objective of this study was to characterize water polo-related injuries among adolescents and young adults treated at United States (US) emergency departments (EDs).

Methods

Cases were water polo-related injuries among patients age 13–25 years reported to the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) during 2000–2019. The distribution of the national injury estimates was determined for selected variables.

Results

A total of 418 water polo-related injuries among patients age 13–25 years treated at US EDs during 2000–2019 were identified, resulting in a national estimate of 15,426 injuries. The patient was age 13–18 years in 73.5% of the injuries, 19–22 years in 20.5%, and 23–25 years in 6.0%; 62.1% of the patients were male and 37.9% female. The injury occurred at a place of recreation or sports in 63.4% of the injuries and a school in 21.4%. The most common diagnoses were a laceration (19.4%), strain or sprain (17.8%), contusion or abrasion (17.6%), or fracture (13.0%). The affected body part was 53.6% head and neck, 31.1% upper extremity, 8.0% trunk, 6.5% lower extremity, and 0.7% other/unknown. The patient was treated, released, or transferred in 98.3% of the injuries.

Conclusion

The majority of patients were adolescents and male. Most of the injuries occurred at a place of recreation or sports or school. The most commonly reported injuries were laceration and strain or sprain and most often affected the head and neck.

Keywords: emergency department; injury; water polo

Corresponding author: Mathias B. Forrester, Independent Researcher, 4600 Monterey Oaks Boulevard #F2335, Austin, Texas 78749, USA, Phone: +1 512 659 3627, E-mail: mathias.forrester@gmail.com

Research funding: None declared.
Author contributions: The author has accepted responsibility for the entire content of this manuscript and approved its submission.
Competing interests: Author states no conflict of interest.
Informed consent: Informed consent was obtained from all individuals included in this study.
Ethical approval: Research involving human subjects complied with all relevant national regulations, institutional policies and is in accordance with the tenets of the Helsinki Declaration (as revised in 2013). Data are publicly available and de-identified; therefore, the study is exempt from institutional review board approval.

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Received: 2020-05-18

Accepted: 2020-06-30

Published Online: 2020-08-24

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Articles in the same Issue

https://doi.org/10.1515/ijamh-2020-0118

Keywords for this article

emergency department; injury; water polo