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Injuries - Continued

Interviews with 46 (71%) of the injured persons identified two primary locations at which injuries occurred-the 45-degree drops and the final outlets. Of the 46, 32 (70%) reported being injured while going over the drops or shortly thereafter, either by landing on the buttocks or lower back or by being knocked off balance and thrown against the sides of the tube; 11 (24%) were upended by the current at the outlet, striking their heads on the sharpedged lip of the tube. The injuries occurred on the first or second ride in two-thirds of the 46

cases.

The slide operators instituted several changes to reduce the number of injuries, including removing a curve from one tube on July 23, requiring every slider to wear a helmet on the first two rides after August 1, rounding the edge of the outlet lip on August 12, and placing extra warning and instruction signs on August 31. Rates of injury declined during July and early August, but rose again in the latter half of August (Figure 1). Improvements in rates were not closely related in time to the specific corrective measures taken. No slide-related injuries were reported by medical-care sources after August 31.

Reported by S Marks, MD, C Hyatt, MD, Snohomish County, S Milham, MD, Epidemiology Section, Div of Health, Washington Dept of Social and Health Svcs; Div of Field Svcs, Epidemiology Program Office, Special Studies Br, Chronic Diseases Div, Center for Environmental Health, CDC.

Editorial Note: Water slides are "recreational devices designed to provide a descending ride into a splash-down pool at the base of the slide... by providing a flowing water film" (1). An estimated 600 are in operation in the United States, and operators of large slides may sell an estimated 500,000 tickets per year (2). In 1983, according to the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System of the Consumer Products Safety Commission, water slides accounted for the largest single share, 30% (2,941 cases), of injuries that occurred at amusement rides

FIGURE 1. Rates of water slide injury, by week of slide operation

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INJURIES/10,000 RIDES

Reported by

slide operators

Reported by

medical-care providers

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Injuries - Continued

and were treated in emergency rooms in the United States. Several water slide-associated fatalities have also been reported (3).

Guidelines based largely on theoretical, engineering considerations have been published for the structure and operation of water slides (1). There is yet no experience or empirical knowledge relating risks of injury to specific design features. The relative severity of the injuries reported in this investigation-fractures and cerebral concussions in 25 (38%) of 65 cases-suggests that excessive speed and loss of body control occurred during the ride. These factors and the association of injuries with two specific sections of the slide in 94% of cases interviewed suggest that design considerations were important in this episode. Whether the rates or severity of injury at this slide are unusually high cannot be determined without comparable studies at other sites.

There is no obvious explanation for the observed changes in injury rates over the summer. No alterations were made in the 45-degree drop sections of the course, and the curve that was removed was not determined in patient interviews to be a high-risk location. The use of helmets and the rounding of the outlet lip are likely to have reduced head injuries, lacerations,

(Continued on page 387)

TABLE 1. Summary-cases specified notifiable diseases, United States

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"One of the 118 reported cases for this week was imported from a foreign country or can be directly traceable to a known internationally imported case within two generations.

TABLE III. Cases of specified notifiable diseases, United States, weeks ending
July 7, 1984 and July 9, 1983(27th Week)

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TABLE III. (Cont'd.) Cases of specified notifiable diseases, United States, weeks ending
July 7, 1984 and July 9, 1983 (27th Week)

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small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][subsumed][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][subsumed][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged 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*For measles only, imported cases includes both out-of-state and international importations.

N Not notifiable

$Out-of-state

*International U. Unavailable

TABLE III. (Cont'd.) Cases of specified notifiable diseases, United States, weeks ending
July 7, 1984 and July 9, 1983 (27th Week)

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