Commentary
Let’s not forget about injury Suzanne Beno MD, Daniel Rosenfield MD, Louis Hugo Francescutti MD PhD MPH
I
njury is a deadly epidemic. It is both the leading cause of death for Canadian children, and the number one killer of Canadians 15,000 deaths, 230,000 hospitalizations, 3,500,000 emergency department visits and 60,000 permanent disabilities occurring from this preventable disease every year. The economic cost of injury in Canada has increased by 35% since 2004 (3). A significant proportion of these injuries occur in the paediatric age group. The mortality statistics alone are equivalent to the loss of 13 classrooms of children every year, or a child dying every 9 h (3). Injury is a controllable disease that can be studied, quantified and reduced with appropriate measures. Motor vehicle traffic collisions are among the largest cause of injury-related mortality and morbidity, and remain the leading cause of death for Canadians
Let’s not forget about injury Suzanne Beno MD, Daniel Rosenfield MD, Louis Hugo Francescutti MD PhD MPH
I
njury is a deadly epidemic. It is both the leading cause of death for Canadian children, and the number one killer of Canadians 15,000 deaths, 230,000 hospitalizations, 3,500,000 emergency department visits and 60,000 permanent disabilities occurring from this preventable disease every year. The economic cost of injury in Canada has increased by 35% since 2004 (3). A significant proportion of these injuries occur in the paediatric age group. The mortality statistics alone are equivalent to the loss of 13 classrooms of children every year, or a child dying every 9 h (3). Injury is a controllable disease that can be studied, quantified and reduced with appropriate measures. Motor vehicle traffic collisions are among the largest cause of injury-related mortality and morbidity, and remain the leading cause of death for Canadians
