Softball injuries treated in US EDs, 1994 to 2010

Background: Softball is a popular participant sport in the United States. This study investigated the epidemiology of softball injuries with comparisons between children and adults. Methods: Data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System for patients 7 years and older treated in an emergency department (ED) for a softball injury from 1994 through 2010 were analyzed. Results: An estimated 2107823 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1736417-2479229) patients were treated in US EDs for a softball injury during the 17-year study period. The annual number of injuries decreased by 23.0% from 1994 to 2010 (P < .001); however, during the last 6 years of the study, injuries increased by 11.7% (P = .008). The annual rate of softball injuries increased significantly during the study period (P = .035). The most commonly injured body regions were the hand/wrist (22.2%) and face (19.3%). Being hit by a ball was the most common mechanism of injury (52.4%) and accounted for most of face (89.6%) and head (75.7%) injuries. Injuries associated with running (relative risk, 2.36; 95% CI, 1.97-2.82) and diving for a ball (relative risk, 4.61; 95% CI, 3.50-6.09) were more likely to occur among adult than pediatric patients. Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate softball injuries using a nationally representative sample. Softball is a common source of injury among children and adults. Increased efforts are needed to promote safety measures, such as face guards, mouth guards, safety softballs, and break-away bases, to decrease these injuries. (C) 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.