Skadehändelser och preventiva åtgärder bland fotgängare och cyklister i Umeå kommun
Every year, approximately 700 000 individuals´ visit an emergency ward in Sweden as a result of injuries and to the emergency ward at Umea University hospital (NUS) about 12 000 injured arrive every year. This study is a retrospective cross-sectional study that surveys injuries caused by crashes among 153 pedestrians and 53 bicyclists, who have been injured in a geographically well defined area during the period January to June 2009. The aim of this study is to survey injuries among pedestrians and cyclists and to examine what preventive measures could reduce these injuries in the Umeå municipality. The results show that falls caused by slipper surface are common among both pedestrians (71 %; n = 109) and bicyclists (32 %; n = 17). Almost one third of the pedestrians (34 %; n = 43) were in the age of 65 or older. Most of them were mildly or moderately hurt, but women had the most complicated injuries and most hospital days. Almost half of the pedestrians suffered fractures and one third of them were in the age of 65 or older. Among the cyclists one third had head-and facial injuries and most of them did not use a helmet. By changes to the environment and by changes made by the human herself many injuries could have been prevented. District nurses meet a lot of patients in all ages in their work and can with preventive action decrease the number of injuries for a lot of people in the community.