Information Services Division Scotland recently published statistics on emergency hospital admissions (for the year ending 31 March 2019) and deaths (for the year ending 31 December 2018) resulting from unintentional injuries in Scotland.
Key findings from the report are as follows:
- In 2018-2019, just over 60,000 emergency admissions for unintentional injuries were reported, indicating 1 in 10 of all emergency admissions in Scotland.
- Among children aged <15 years, deaths by unintentional injury were at their lowest in 10 years, with just six deaths in 2018.
- Falls were the most common type of unintentional injury in children (both sexes) requiring emergency admission. Falls accounted for 46 per cent of the 7205 emergency admissions in 2018-2019.
- The rate of falls in individuals aged ≥65 years has risen from 19.8 per 1000 in 2009-2010 to 22.5 per 1000 in 2018-2019. Falls account for 85 per cent of unintentional injuries in this age group.
- The number of annual deaths due to poisoning has increased substantially from 2011 (461 deaths) to 2018 (1140 deaths). The finding is in line with the increase in drug-related deaths reported in Scotland.
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