Using the NEISS database to understand pressure cooker related injuries in the USA.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the incidence of pressure cooker related injuries in US hospital emergency departments. To quantify injury patterns associated with pressure cookers and inform prevention recommendation messaging.

METHODS

The National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) was queried to identify injuries associated with pressure cookers between 1 January 2003 and 31 December 2019. Case narratives were reviewed to identify precipitating or contributing factors of pressure cooker related injuries. Negative binomial regression was employed to test for trends over time.

RESULTS

The NEISS query identified 759 actual pressure cooker injuries between 2003 and 2019, yielding a national estimate of 28 337 (95% CI 24 588 to 32,086) injuries treated in US emergency departments, 1667 cases annually. Analysis of case narratives resulted in the identification of four predominant precipitating or contributing factors to injury: burning agent, struck by product, injured while opening and other.

CONCLUSION

NEISS is a valuable tool for determining injury incidence and understanding common injury patterns associated with specific products. Consumers and manufacturers of pressure cookers can develop safety strategies targeted at preventing the product's main injury risks.