Accidents are the third most common cause of death in Ireland following heart disease and cancer and they are the greatest single cause of premature death in people under 45 years of age, according to a new study published by the Office for Health Gain yesterday.
The report was carried out by Eastern Health Board specialists in 1993, a year when 54,444 admissions to hospital were the result of injury. It is estimated that the health bill for injury in 1993 was over £100 million.
The cause of a total of 3,658 accidental injuries to children up to four years comprised falls (1,506), poisoning (869), struck or jammed by persons or objects (393) cutting/piercing in jury (127) motor traffic accident (124) drowning/suffocation/submersion (124) pedal cycle accident (80) environmental factors/animal bites (58) fire/flames (23) and other (354).