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Abstract
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Question
How often do medical devices lead to emergency consultation?Study design
Retrospective observational study.Main results
Over 1 year, an estimated 454,383 (95%CI 371,156 to 537,610) people were seen in emergency departments in the US because of adverse effects of medical devices; 13% of events led to admission. The majority of events involved a fall or blow to the body with a device rather than device failure or user error. The specialty of physical medicine accounted for 40% of the total estimate, mainly through adverse events when using wheelchairs, crutches and other mobility aids (wheelchairs and scooters: 98,820 cases [22%]; 95% CI 84,816 to 112,824; crutches, canes and walkers: 69,044 cases [15%]; 95% CI 54,526 to 83,562). 42% of events occurred at home and 22% were work related (home: 190,018 cases [42%]; 95% CI 135,798 to 244,237; work: 102,126 cases [22%]; 95% CI 70,064 to 134,188). Contusions/abrasions, punctures and lacerations were the most common events, with the lower trunk being the most common injury site (69,022 cases [15%]; 95% CI 52,740 to 35,304). Adverse events occurred more frequently in women (60%) and with increasing age (over 65 years: 40%).Authors' conclusions
This is the first national estimate of incidence of emergency department visits because of medical devices. Estimates are four times the number of events reported by medical device surveillance systems and show adverse events through using medical devices are an underestimated public health risk. The principal cause of events was not device failure but physical trauma from mobility aids. |