Northeastern Ohio trauma study. I: Magnitude of the problem.

This study measured the incidence of cause-specific trauma in the Cleveland and Lorain-Elyria Standard Metropolitan Statistical Areas (SMSAs), population 2.2 million, as reported to hospital emergency departments (ED). Cases were selected according to a stratified probability sampling plan. The injury incidence rates for vehicular crashes and assault were 1.4 and 3.8 times higher, respectively, than the official incidence rates for these SMSAs. These differences point to a significant underreporting of data needed for public health decision making. Errata see http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1651046