Injury morbidity and mortality have been persistent problems in the United States. Recent findings report that in 1995 alone, injuries were responsible for 147,891 deaths, 2.6 million hospitalizations, and over 36 million emergency room visits (Fingerhut and Warner, 1997). Societal costs of injury-related morbidity and mortality were estimated at $260 billion in FY 1995.¹ Unintentional injuries and violence account for about 30 percent of all lost years of productive life before age 65, exceeding losses from heart disease, cancer, and stroke combined (CDC, 1991; Waller, 1994). Given the staggering costs of injury morbidity and mortality, the Robert Wood Johnson, W.K. Kellogg, and John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur foundations, requested that the Institute of Medicine (IOM) establish a committee to make recommendations for advancing the injury field and reducing the burden of injury in America. In this report, the IOM Committee on Injury Prevention and Control characterizes the injury problem in the United States, assesses the current response by the public and private sectors, and presents recommendations for reducing the burden of injury in America.²

Download