D. Gleason1, W. A. Guo1 1State University Of New York At Buffalo,Surgery,Buffalo, NY, USA
Introduction: The November 13–21, 2014 North American winter storm was an epic lake-effect snow blitz. It created copious amounts of snowfall and crippled parts of Western New York, given the code name ‘Snowvember’. We describe the relationship between this snow blizzard and emergency hospital admissions for falls and motor vehicle related injuries in Western New York.
Methods: We obtained data on adult trauma patients with ICD-9 codes for external causes of injury (E880-888, E810-819, and E820-825) over a period of one month (Nov 13-Dec 12) in 2013 and 2014 from our trauma registry. The data was analyzed after the removal of identifiers.
Results:Figure 1 shows snowfalls in Western NY in 2014 and 2013. The number of admission in 2014 for falls from height and MVA was double what it was in 2013 (110 vs 61) and MVC (78 vs 41). There was no difference in male percentage and age. The ISS was lower (6.5 vs 9.0, p<0.01) for falls, but higher for MVA (59 vs 50, p<0.05) in 2014 than in 2013 (Table). The hospital LOC was shorter in 2014 than 2013 for patients sustaining falls (p<0.05). The most common cause of MVA in 2014 was due to loss of control without collision on the highway (E-code 816). Furthermore, the percentage of this cause was significantly higher in 2014 than in 2013 (29.5% vs 10%, χ2 p=0.015).
Conclusion:Our study demonstrates that this epic snowstorm in Western New York significantly increased the hospital admission for falls from height and MVA. Although the State government imposed a driving ban during this snowstorm, hospital admission for and the ISS of motor vehicle related injuries were significantly higher, with a higher proportion being due to loss of control of the vehicles. To prevent similar unnecessary injuries during snowstorms in the future, a public service campaign and media reports to advise the public on the risks of injury is advisable.
