Epidemiology and injury patterns of aerial sports in Switzerland

Table 1 Distribution of different airborne sports, injury severity score, age, type of admission and primary trauma care unit, n (%)

	Overall	Paragliding	BASE-jumping	Skydiving	Delta flying	Speed flying
Total numbers	235 (100)	194 (82.6)	25 (10.6)	10 (4.2)	2 (0.9)	4 (1.7)
Male	198 (84.3)	162 (83.5)	23 (92)	9 (90)	2 (100)	2 (50)
Injury severity score, n (SD)	16.5 (14.0)	16.0 (13.9)	21.1 (13.9)	13.3 (15.2)	18 (14)	19.75 (8.8)
Age (yr, range)	38.7 (18-74)	39.8 (18-74)	30.8 (21-45)	37.2 (20-59)	51 (49-53)	33.3 (27-45)
Air rescue	155 (67.0)	129 (66.5)	19 (76.0)	2 (20.0)	1 (50)	4 (100)
Ambulance	6 (2.6)	5 (2.6)	1 (4.0)	-	-
Self-admission	28 (11.9)	21 (10.8)	1 (4.0)	5 (50.0)	1 (50)	-
Transferred from other hospitals	44 (18.7)	37 (19.1)	4 (16.0)	3 (30.0)	-	-
Not otherwise specified	2 (0.9)	2 (1.0)	-	-	-	-
Resuscitation room	162 (68.9)	133 (68.6)	21 (84.0)	3 (30.0)	1 (50)	4 (100)
Normal trauma ward	72 (30.6)	60 (30.9)	4 (16.0)	7 (70.0)	1 (50)	-
Not otherwise specified	1 (0.4)	1 (0.5)	-	-	-	-

BASE: Building, Antenna, Span and Earth.

Table 2 Distribution of injuries according to the anatomic region in different airborne sports, n (%)

	Total	Spine	Extremity	Sacro/pelvis	Abdomen	Thorax	Head/face
Paragliding	532 (74.1)	274 (51.5)	92 (17.3)	41 (7.7)	22 (4.1)	66 (12.4)	37 (7.0)
BASE-jumping	134 (18.7)	48 (35.8)	33 (24.6)	12 (9.0)	5 (3.7)	26 (19.4)	10 (7.5)
Parachuting	20 (2.8)	1 (5)	10 (50)	2 (10)	1 (5)	2 (10)	4 (20)
Speedflying	24 (3.3)	11 (45.8)	2 (8.3)	-	1 (4.2)	9 (37.5)	1 (4.2)
Delta	8 (1.1)	-	8 (100)	-	-	-	-
Total	718 (100)	334 (46.5)	145 (20.2)	55 (7.7)	29 (4.0)	103 (14.4)	52 (7.2)

BASE: Building, Antenna, Span and Earth.

Table 3 Distribution of three most severe abbreviated injury codes by severity and location of injury

	Mean	1 -minor	2 - moderate	3 - serious	4 - severe	5 - critical	6 - maximal	Not within 3 most severe AIC	Total
Head/face	2.57	10	13	13	8	1	1	2	48
Thoracic	3.04	3	17	28	12	7	0	2	69
Abdomen	3.18	1	2	7	7	0	0	6	23
Spine	2.77	24	36	28	48	2	0	5	143
Pelvis	3.52	3	8	16	8	13	2	5	55
Upper extremity	2.09	7	29	11	0	0	0	10	57
Lower extremity	2.34	16	16	23	7	0	0	3	65

AIC: Abbreviated injury codes.

Table 4 Emergency surgery indications classified by the leading medical specialty, n (%)

	Emergency surgeries	Procedure
Total	55 (100)
Extremities	18 (32.7)	10 external fixations, 4 plate osteosynthesis, 4 internal fixations with intramedullar nail
Open fractures	12
Closed fractures	6
Spine surgery	23 (41.8)	16 decompressions and pedicle screw fixation, 7 percutaneous stabilizations
With neurology	16 (69.6)
Without neurology	7 (30.4)
Pelvic fixation	7 (12.7), including one with Urinary bladder rupture	7 plate osteosynthesis and in one case direct suturing of the bladder
Vascular surgery	3 (5.5)	2 arterial bypasses, 1 coronary artery angiography
Others (visceral, plastic, neuro, maxillo fascial)	4 (7.3), each 1	1 explorative laparotomy, 1 debridement (after burn), 1 cerebral decompression, 1 maxillofacial fixation
Additionally interventions	15 thoracic trauma, 3 cerebral trauma	15 thoracic drainages, 3 ICP probe insertion

BASE: Building, Antenna, Span and Earth.