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59. The Epidemiology of Bridge Jumpers

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 June 2012

Patti Purpura
Affiliation:
University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, USA
Jane H. Brice
Affiliation:
University of Pittsburgh Affiliated Residency in Emergency Medicine, Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, USA
Theodore Delbridge
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
Abdulrezzak Shakir
Affiliation:
Allegheny County Coroner's Office
Laurie Byrne
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, Allegheny General Hospital, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
Robert McCaughan
Affiliation:
Bureau of EMS, City of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
Cyril Wecht
Affiliation:
Allegheny County Coroner's Office
Joanne Kuntz
Affiliation:
Mercy Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
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Purpose: Treatment and prevention strategies regarding people who jump from medium height bridges over water could be optimized by an improved understanding of patient demographics and injury spectra. Currently, little is known about this EMS patient population. We sought to describe the demographics and injuries sustained by those who jumped or fell from medium height bridges.

Methods: We searched the River Rescue and EMS reports of a medium size city for the ten year period 1986–1995 to identify cases involving a person who jumped/fell from a bridge into water. Additional cases were identified by searching coroner and trauma center registries. For each case, we reviewed applicable EMS, hospital, and coroner records to determine patient demographics, treatment provided, and injuries sustained.

Results: We identified 76 cases of individuals who jumped/fell from bridges into water. Eighteen of the region's 24 bridges (40 to 100 feet high) were involved. Average patient age was 34.8 years, 87% were male, and 29% jumped during July. These jumps/falls resulted in 25 (33%) deaths and 22 (29%) uninjured persons. Of those who died, 18 (72%) drowned, sustaining no other detectable injuries. Hospitalized survivors and injured coroner cases suffered predominantly extremity and rib fractures, pneumo/hemothoraces, and closed head injuries. No neck injuries were identified. No patient whose advanced level EMS treatment exceeded basic monitoring and IV access survived.

Type
Poster Presentations
Copyright
Copyright © World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine 1996