Home Injuries, Preventing

There are approximately 18,000 injury-related deaths at home each year and an average of 21 million medical visits made each year due to home injuries. The home is the second most common [Page 567]location for fatal injuries in the United States, following motor vehicle injuries. Leading causes of home injury deaths include falls, poisonings, fire/burns, choking/suffocations, and drownings, which together constitute 90% of all unintentional home injury deaths. Children younger than 15 years and adults older than age 70 years are at particularly high risk for injuries in the home. Among children 0 to 14 years old, the leading causes of home injury deaths are fire/burns, choking/suffocations, drownings, firearms, and poisonings. Among older adults, the leading causes of home injury deaths are falls, fire/burns, poisonings, ...