Overview
The Miami-Dade County Injury Surveillance System (MDCISS) was initiated in 2004 to obtain accurate and timely information on the incidence and determinants of fatal and nonfatal injuries that occur to Miami-Dade residents. The objective of the MDCISS is to provide data that can be used to initiate or assist injury prevention programs and help measure their effectiveness. The MDCISS is a collaborative effort between the Miami-Dade County Health Department, the Injury Free Coalition for Kids-Miami, the University of Miami and Jackson Health Systems. It has been supported, in part, through funding from The Children’s Trust and the Health Foundation of South Florida.
Injuries are a major public health problem in Miami-Dade County and are the leading cause of death for county residents between the ages 1 to 44 years. Further, for every injury-related death to a county resident in 2009, there were an additional 13 nonfatal hospitalizations and 147 emergency department visits due to an injury.
Injuries to Miami-Dade County Residents During 2010
Injuries were responsible for 1,092 resident deaths in 2010, a decrease of 12% from 1,240 injury-related deaths in 2009.
Unintentional (accidental) injuries accounted for 641 (59%) of injury deaths, followed by suicides (230, 21%) and homicides (217, 20%).
Firearm injuries were the leading cause of injury-related death (257, 24%) followed by and motor vehicle traffic injuries (248, 23%) and falls (162, 15%).
Firearm deaths decreased for the third year in a row from 318 deaths in 2007 to 257 in 2010, a 19% decline. Sixty-five percent of firearm deaths in 2010 were homicides, 35% were suicides and there was one unintentional firearm death.
Injuries were responsible for 14,686 nonfatal hospitalizations to county residents in 2010. Falls (49%) were the leading cause of injury hospitalizations followed by motor vehicle traffic injuries (13%) and poisonings (12%).
Injuries were responsible for 160,045 nonfatal emergency department (ED) visits to county residents in 2010. Falls (30%) were the leading cause of ED visits followed by struck by or against an object/person (14%) and motor vehicle traffic injuries (10%).
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