for immediate release

November 1, 2001
CONTACT: Mary Vassar 415.206.5952

ELDERLY SAN FRANCISCANS
AT HIGHEST RISK OF INJURY

Profile of Injury Report Highlights
Need for Injury Prevention

San Francisco, CA--Injury claims the lives of nine San Franciscans and hospitalizes 119 others every week. Of these deaths, drug overdoses and poisonings account for 40%. Unlike other cities, where trauma is most prevalent among young adults, it is San Francisco's older residents who suffer the highest rates of injury deaths and disabilities.

These statistics and other compelling figures from the newly-released Profile of Injury in San Francisco report offer an overview of injury morbidity and mortality in the City and County of San Francisco. The report helps public health authorities track the causes of injuries and deaths and identify trends that can be used to redirect public health policy and programs. The newest edition is a joint project of the UCSF San Francisco Injury Center, the Trauma Foundation, and the San Francisco Department of Public Health (DPH).

The report, using 1998 data--the most recent available-- looks at death and hospitalization in eight major areas. After drug overdose/poisonings, the leading causes of injury death in San Francisco are: falls, firearms, and motor vehicle crashes. The other major categories in the survey are: suffocation, drowning, cuts/piercing, and fire/burns. The Profile also looks at intentional injuries, violent and self-destructive acts, and unintentional injuries.

“The good news is that the rates in this study are lower than in our previous report, but the bad news is that too many residents continue to be hospitalized and/or die as the result of largely preventable injuries,” said Elizabeth McLoughlin, Associate Director of the Trauma Foundation and the lead author of the report.

M. Margaret Knudson, MD, Director of the UCSF Injury Center, and trauma surgeon at San Francisco General Hospital Medical Center, treats many injury victims first-hand. “Pedestrians in San Francisco are at high risk for injury, particularly the elderly," noted Dr. Knudson. "This problem should be a priority for all those interested in public health.”

Other important findings in this report include:

• Drug overdoses/poisonings accounted for the highest percentage (40%) of injury-related deaths, followed by motor vehicle/pedestrian crashes (14%), falls (11%), and firearms (10%).
• Almost half of all injury hospitalizations were due to falls. Among seniors over the age of 65, the figure was 77 percent.
• There were twice as many suicides as homicides among San Francisco residents.
• Hospital charges for the time period studied totaled $130 million, with half of these costs associated with falls.
• More pedestrians than occupants of motor vehicles have been killed in San Francisco during the past ten years. Nationally, pedestrians account for only 12% of motor vehicle deaths.
• Among visitors to San Francisco, homicides accounted for almost 20% of injury-related deaths.
• A large proportion of injury deaths occurred before any medical treatment could be rendered. This highlights the need for injury prevention programs.

Dr. Mitch Katz, Director of the San Francisco Department of Public Health, cited the report as an important source of information. “The Profile of Injury report provides us with the data we need to identify what specific problems exist and how critical they are to the health and well being of our residents."

Previous Profile of Injury in San Francisco reports helped the City identify the need for more focused drug treatment programs, expand senior injury prevention efforts, and launch a coordinated city-wide approach to pedestrian safety in San Francisco.

The UCSF Injury Center is one of ten Injury Control Research Centers funded by the National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Its mission is to expand knowledge in the areas of acute care for traumatized individuals and to promote injury prevention strategies. The Trauma Foundation is a nonprofit organization housed at SF General Hospital whose mission is to promote injury prevention policy.

Copies of the 2001 Profile of Injury in San Francisco are available to all interested persons at http://www.tf.org/tf/injuries/cov4.shtml. Additional information about injury problems and solutions can be found on the Foundation’s website at http://www.tf.org or on the Injury Center’s website at http://www.surgery.ucsf.edu/sfic.