Abstract
Approximately 78 million persons engage in recreational boating annually in the United States. Several types of injury can occur during boating recreation, including drowning, falls, burns, and propeller-related injuries. Injuries from the propeller are typically multiple, deep, parallel lacerations that can result in permanent scarring, substantial blood loss, traumatic or surgical amputation, or death. Persons sustaining injuries from boat propellers can require long periods of hospitalization, recovery, and rehabilitation. In Texas, the extent of boat-propeller-related injuries is unknown; however, the existence of approximately 600,000 motorboats in the state exposes many Texans to the potential risk for propeller-related injury. To characterize the occurrence of boat-propeller-related injuries in Texas, the Texas Department of Health (TDH) and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) investigated boat-propeller-related injuries that occurred in four lakes in Texas during May 24 -September 1, 1997, the time of year when boating activities are most common. This report summarizes the results of the investigation.
Highlights
Leads From the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report78 million persons engage in recreational boating annually in the United States. Several types of injury can occur during boating recreation, including drowning, falls, burns, and propeller-related injuries
All colonized patients received endotracheal suctioning after instillation of 0.9% sterile sodium chloride solution (Modudoset, manufactured by Kendall Corporation, Mainsfield, Massachusetts*); no infections or deaths were attributed to R. pickettii
In November 1997, the hospital discontinued using ethylene oxide to sterilize instruments used in ophthalmic surgery and began using the Abtox Plazlyte sterilization method. 1,2 From November 5, 1997, through January 14, 1998, a total of 49 patients had ophthalmic surgery that involved instruments sterilized in the Abtox Plazlyte machine
Summary
78 million persons engage in recreational boating annually in the United States. Several types of injury can occur during boating recreation, including drowning, falls, burns, and propeller-related injuries. 78 million persons engage in recreational boating annually in the United States.. Several types of injury can occur during boating recreation, including drowning, falls, burns, and propeller-related injuries. Persons sustaining injuries from boat propellers can require long periods of hospitalization, recovery, and rehabilitation. To characterize the occurrence of boat-propeller–related injuries in Texas, the Texas Department of Health (TDH) and the Texas. The investigation established active and hospital-based surveillance near four inland lakes in northern, central, and eastern Texas. Thirteen hospitals near the lakes reported to TDH data about patients treated in the emergency department (ED) or admitted to the hospital for a boat-propeller–related injury. Additional data were reviewed from TPWD’s Boating Accident Reports, TDH’s Texas Trauma Registry, and newspaper clippings from across the state. TDH identified 13 persons who sustained boat-propeller–related injuries; three of these persons died
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