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Fig. 1
Rate of ice fishing injuries of all fishing related injuries over 2009–2014 (R2 = 0.31).
Fig. 2
Distribution of injuries (head/neck, torso, upper extremity, lower extremity, and >50% of body) with asterix indicating significant difference between ice fishing and traditional fishing rates (p<0.05).
Abstract
Introduction
Fishing is a common pastime. In the developed world, it is commonly performed as a recreational activity. We aim to determine injury patterns and outcomes among patients injured while ice fishing.
Methods
Data on initial emergency department visits from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System-All Injury Program (NEISS-AIP) from 2009–2014 were analyzed. All patients with fishing related injuries were included. Primary endpoint was rate of admission or transfer. Secondary endpoints were defined a priori anatomical injury categories and patients were assigned into groups. Descriptive and power analysis was performed between patients with ice-fishing and traditional fishing related injuries.
Results
We identified 8220 patients who sustained fishing related injuries, of which n=85 (1%) involved ice fishing. Ice fishing injuries occurred primarily in males (88%) with a mean age of 39.4 years ± 17.5 (std dev). The most common injuries related to ice fishing were: orthopedic/musculoskeletal (46%), minor trauma (37%), and major trauma (6%). Hot thermal injuries (burns) were the fourth most common type of ice-fishing injury (5%) but rarely occurred in warmer fishing months (<1%, p=0.004). Cold thermal injuries (1%) and hypothermia (0%) were rare among ice-fishing injuries and immersion/drowning occurred in 5% of cases. The rate of admission/transfer was significantly greater in ice-fishing (11%) than the traditional fishing patients 3%, p<0.001), power was 89.7%.
Conclusion
Ice fishing is associated with more severe injury patterns and more thermal injuries and immersion injuries than traditional fishing. Providers and participants should be aware of the potential risks and benefits and counseled appropriately.
Abbreviations:
ED (Emergency Department), NEISS-AIP (National Electronic Injury Surveillance System-All Injury Program), CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), US (United States)To access this article, please choose from the options below
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Conflicts of Interest and Source of Funding: Support provided by the Mayo Clinic Robert D. and Patricia E. Kern Center for the Science of Health Care Delivery (Thiels). Grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute T32 HL105355 (Aho). CTSA grant KL2 TR000136 from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) (Zielinski). These funders had no role in the design or conduct of the study; collection, management, analysis, or interpretation of the data; or preparation, review, or approval of the article.
This work has not previously or concurrently been submitted for publication.
