Editorials

Injury prevention: Part 2

Thomas C. Meyer, MD

A s was mentioned in the previous issue of the Journal , we received so many excellent submissions on the topic of injury prevention that we decided to dedicate two issues to it. This, the second, deals primarily with the prevention of injuries relating to recreational activities. Introducing this topic is the guest editorial from Dr Brixey et al, which makes the plea that as physicians we assist in closing the gap between the epidemiological/scientific knowledge of injury prevention and what is happening in the real world of recreation (p 19).



Author Affiliations: Medical Editor, Wisconsin Medical Journal


Corresponding Author: Wisconsin Medical Society 330 E. Lakeside St. Madison, WI 53715

Injury prevention: Part 2

Thomas C. Meyer, MD

A s was mentioned in the previous issue of the Journal , we received so many excellent submissions on the topic of injury prevention that we decided to dedicate two issues to it. This, the second, deals primarily with the prevention of injuries relating to recreational activities. Introducing this topic is the guest editorial from Dr Brixey et al, which makes the plea that as physicians we assist in closing the gap between the epidemiological/scientific knowledge of injury prevention and what is happening in the real world of recreation (p 19).



Author Affiliations: Medical Editor, Wisconsin Medical Journal


Corresponding Author: Wisconsin Medical Society 330 E. Lakeside St Madison, WI 53715

Commentaries

Report on a Flawed “Report Card”: The Public Citizens Ranking of Medical Licensing Boards

Darold A. Treffert, MD; Sidney E. Johnson, MD

Each year the Public Citizens Health Research Group (HRG), led by Sidney Wolfe, MD, issues a “report card” ranking physician discipline rates, state by state. And each year, newspapers run stories about the “anemic” performance of the Wisconsin Medical Examining Board, using the HRG report as their source.



Author Affiliations: Doctor Treffert is on the staff of St. Agnes Hospital in Fond du Lac, Wis. He was a member of the Wisconsin Medical Examining Board (MEB) from 1995 to 2003. Doctor Johnson is on the staff of the Marshfield Clinic in Marshfield, Wis. He was a member of the

Corresponding Author: Wisconsin Medical Society 330 E. Lakeside St Madison, WI 53715

Education is not enough Equipment and legislation also needed to prevent injury

Anthony G. Staresinic, PharmD

There is no better advocate for child passenger safety than a parent of a child who was involved in an automobile crash. The parental feelings of child protection can be overwhelmingly strong. I know this because my son and I were involved in a motor vehicle crash in early January.



Author Affiliations: Dr. Staresinic is a Regional Medical Liaison for Sanofi-Aventis and former Assistant Scientist for the Wisconsin Healthy Homes Initiative, School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin, Madison.


Corresponding Author: Wisconsin Medical Society 330 E. Lakeside St Madison, WI 53715

Injuries can be prevented

Suzanne Brixey, MD; Ann L. Christiansen, MPH; Kelly S. Tieves, DO, MS

As physicians, public health advocates, and parents, we strive to promote safe environments for our children. Everyone wants to decrease the risk of unintentional injury, the leading cause of death for children under the age of 15.1 Unintentional injury is a significant burden on our children and youth and a critical issue for public health. In the United States, over 400 people die of injuries every day; at least 57 of these deaths occur among children, with almost two-thirds related to unintentional injuries.


Author Affiliations: Doctor Brixey is assistant professor of Pediatrics at the Medical College of Wisconsin, and is a practicing physician at the Downtown Health Clinic in Milwaukee. Ms Christiansen is assistant director of the Injury Research Center at the Medical College of

Corresponding Author: Ann Christiansen, MPH, Injury Research Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, 8701 Watertown Plank Rd, Milwaukee, WI 53226; phone 414.456.7660; fax 414.456.6470; e-mail achristi@mcw.edu.

Original Research

The Analogy of the Hive

George W. Kindschi, MD, MS, FCAP

With tongue firmly placed in cheek, I offer a comparison of the functioning of a beehive and that of a health care organization. I found the similarities striking.

Author Affiliations: Doctor Kindschi is a retired physician living in Monroe, Wis.


Corresponding Author: Wisconsin Medical Society 330 E. Lakeside St Madison, WI 53715

The Epidemiology of Traumatic Brain Injury in Wisconsin, 2001

Kelly S.Tieves, DO; Hongyan Yang, MS; Peter M. Layde, MD

Problem: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of death and disability in the United States. To implement more effective injury prevention and treatment programs, it is important to identify the regional impact, causes, risk factors, and trends of TBI. This report summarizes the public health impact of TBI in Wisconsin.



Author Affiliations: All authors are with the Medical College of Wisconsin. Doctor Tieves is an assistant professor of Pediatrics, Critical Care, and affiliate faculty at the Injury Research Center. Mr Yang is a biostatistician in Family and Community Medicine. Doctor Layde i

Corresponding Author: Wisconsin Medical Society 330 E. Lakeside St Madison, WI 53719

Geographic Analysis of Traffic Injury in Wisconsin: Impact on Case Fatality of Distance to Level I/II Trauma Care

Maureen Durkin, PhD, DrPH; Jane McElroy, PhD; Hui Guan, MBBS, MS; Wayne Bigelow, MS; Tom Brazelton, MD, MPH

Purpose: Traffic injuries are an important public health problem in Wisconsin. This paper examines geographic variations in the incidence and case fatality of traffic injuries, and evaluates proximity to Level I/II trauma care as a predictor of case fatality.



Author Affiliations: Dr Durkin, Dr McElroy, Dr Guan and Mr Bigelow are with the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Dr Durkin is an associate professor, Department of Population Health Sciences; Dr McElroy is an assistant scientist with the Comprehensive Cancer Center; Dr Guan i

Corresponding Author: Please address correspondence to: Maureen Durkin, PhD, DrPH, Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Wisconsin Medical School, 610 Walnut St, 789 WARF, Madison, WI 53726; phone 608.263.7507; fax 608.263.2820; email mdurkin@wisc.edu.

The Perils of Snowmobiling

Mary L. Sy, MD; Timothy E. Corden, MD

Snowmobiling is a popular winter sport in Wisconsin, but it can result in serious injury and death. From 1998-2002, 1090 people in Wisconsin were hospitalized due to injuries related to snowmobiling. From 2002 to 2004, 51 snowmobile-related fatalities were reported to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Multiple risk factors exist for snowmobile injury and death, with alcohol consumption and male gender being the 2 largest associated risks. Many of the risk factors are modifiable, and health care professionals can facilitate snowmobiling-related injury prevention.



Author Affiliations: Doctor Sy is a senior resident in Pediatrics at the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics. Doctor Corden is assistant professor of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin Medical School, Department of Pediatrics, and medical director of the pediatric i

Corresponding Author: Mary L. Sy, MD, University of Wisconsin, Department of Pediatrics, Clinical Science Center H4/4, 600 Highland Ave, Madison, WI 53792-4116; phone 608.262.2122; fax 608.263.0440; e-mail ml.sy@hosp.wisc.edu.

The Role of the Health Care Professional in Bicycle Safety

Timothy E. Corden, MD; Neena Tripathy, MD; Sarah E. Pierce, BS; Murray L. Katcher, MD, PhD

Learning to ride a bicycle and enjoying the pleasures of cycling are synonymous with childhood; unfortunately, cycling does not come without risk of serious injury. Children under 15 years old account for the majority of cycling time in the United States, and on average, 1 child dies every day from a bicycle-related injury. Health care professionals can play an important role in making cycling a safe activity by encouraging and advocating for safe bicycling practices. Specific areas for physicians and health care professionals to emphasize involve the cyclist, environmental factors, and equipment factors. Helmet use by cyclists, avoidance of risk-taking, safe cycling road behavior, and proper cycling equipment fit and usage are all areas in which health care professionals can instruct families during office visits. The physician and the health care community can also be advocates for mandatory helmet legislation in order to achieve higher helmet usage rates and decreased cycling injuries. The health care professional’s role in bicycle safety is an important component in building a foundation for safe cycling.



Author Affiliations: Doctor Corden is assistant professor of Pediatrics in the University of Wisconsin Department of Pediatrics and clinical director of the pediatric intensive care unit at the University of Wisconsin Children’s Hospital in Madison. Doctor Tripathy is a

Corresponding Author: Timothy E. Corden, MD, University of Wisconsin, Department of Pediatrics, Clinical Science Center H4/4, 600 Highland Ave, Madison, WI 53792-4116; phone 608.263.4959; fax 608.263.0440; e-mail tecorden@wisc.edu.

Increased Risk of Death or Disability in Unhelmeted Wisconsin Motorcyclists

Carley Sauter, BA; Shankuan Zhu, MD, PhD; Shane Allen, BS, MPH; Stephen Hargarten, MD, MPH; Peter M. Layde, MD, MSc

Objective: The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationships among motorcycle rider helmet, alcohol use and the full spectrum of health outcomes following crashes.



Author Affiliations: All authors are with the Injury Research Center; Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wis. Doctor Zhu and Doctor Layde are also with the Department of Family and Community Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wis. Doctor Hargarten is als

Corresponding Author: Peter M. Layde, MD, MSc, Injury Research Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, 8701 Watertown Plank Rd, Milwaukee, WI 53226; phone 414.456.7670; e-mail playde@mcw.edu.

Review Articles

Horse-Related Injuries in Children: A Review

Tanya Jagodzinski, MD; Gregory P. DeMuri, MD

Horseback riding is an increasingly popular activity among today’s youth, providing them with the opportunity to learn responsibility and respect for animals. However, it can also be associated with severe injury, of which many physicians are unaware. In 2002, there were an estimated 13,400 emergency department visits nationwide for horse-related injuries among children younger than 15 years. When using a severity score to compare it with other childhood injuries, equestrian-related injury ranked second only to pedestrians being struck by a car, and had a higher score than all terrain vehicle, bicycle, and passenger motor vehicle crash injuries.



Author Affiliations: Doctor Jagodzinski is a senior resident in pediatrics at the University of Wisconsin. Doctor DeMuri is associate professor of Pediatrics at the University of Wisconsin Medical School.

Corresponding Author: Gregory P. DeMuri, MD, Department of Pediatrics, 2870 University Ave, Suite 200, Madison, WI 53705; phone 608.263.0884; fax 608.265.7958; e-mail gpdemuri@wisc.edu.

Your Practice

Managing an IRA inheritance

Kurt G. Krumholz, CFP

The traditional individual retirement account (IRA) has been around for a number of years, and the first generation of IRA investors are now passing away. This has left many spouses and heirs with the process of managing an IRA inheritance. Unfortunately, many are making serious mistakes along the way.



Author Affiliations: Based in Madison, WI, Kurt G. Krumholz, CFP®, is the President of SVA Planners Inc., Registered Investment Advisor

Corresponding Author: WisconsinMedical Society Insurance and Financial Services, Inc. at 866.442.3810

Your Profession

Much more research needed on injury prevention

Philip M. Farrell, MD, PhD

Personally, I wish I knew more about injury prevention, the theme of this issue of the Wisconsin Medical Journal. Such knowledge might have helped me avoid some of the many sports-related injuries I’ve sustained in my life.



Author Affiliations: Doctor Farrell is Dean, University of Wisconsin Medical School, and Vice Chancellor for Medical Affairs at UWMadison

Corresponding Author: Wisconsin Medical Society 330 E. Lakeside St Madison, WI 53715