Emergency Medical Services Clinician Injury Data

The NEISS-Work data in the tables below include all nonfatal injuries that occurred during the performance of paid or volunteer EMS duties. “Firefighters” were included when they were injured while performing EMS duties such as patient care, patient transport, patient rescue, or working in an ambulance.

Table 1: Among EMS clinicians treated in emergency departments (EDs) for an occupational injury, the majority of clinicians were men. More than half of the injured EMS clinicians were less than 35 years of age.

Table 1: Demographics of injured EMS clinicians treated in US hospital emergency departments, 2020

	Number of injuriesa	95% confidence interval	Percent
Total	16,900	(9,200, 24,700)	100
Sex
Male	9,900	(4,900, 14,900)	59
Female	7,000	(3,800, 10,200)	41
Age group (in yrs)
<25	2,800	(1,500, 4,000)	16
25-34	7,000b	(2,700, 11,300)	41
35-44	3,800b	(1,500, 6,100)	22
>44	3,300	(1,800, 4,900)	20

^a Numbers do not add to totals or 100 because of rounding.
^b This estimate is provided for information only as the variance does not meet NEISS-Work reporting requirements. Use this number with caution as the higher variance indicates it is less stable than other reported estimates.

 

Table 2: Among EMS clinician injuries, sprains and strains were the most common diagnosis. Most injuries affected the hand and upper trunk. The greatest portion of injuries involved overexertions and bodily reactions. The second most common injury event was violence. For all of the EMS injuries, the most common sources which directly produced the injury were the EMS clinician themselves or another person such as a patient.

Table 2: Selected characteristics of EMS clinician injuries treated in US hospital emergency departments, 2020

	Number of injuriesa	95% confidence interval	Percenta
Total	16,900	(9,200, 24,700)	100
Diagnosis
Sprains & strains	4,000	(1,900, 6,200)	24
Contusions/abrasions	2,600	(1,000, 4,100)	15
Body part affected
Leg, including foot	3,200b	(1,000, 5,300)	19
Upper trunk, inc. neck & shoulder	3,000	(1,300, 4,700)	18
Arm	2,200	(1,000, 3,500)	13
Lower trunk	2,200b	(700, 3,600)	13
Hand & finger	1,900	(1,000, 2,800)	11
Eventc
Overexertion & bodily reaction (7)	5,200b	(2,000, 8,400)	31
Violence (1)	3,000	(1,300, 4,700)	18
Harmful exposures (5)	2,500	(1,300, 3,600)	15
Transportation incidents	2,500b	(800, 4,300)	15
Contact with objects & equipment (6)	2,100	(1,100, 3,100)	12
Falls, slips, trips (4)	1,600b	(500, 2,700)	10
Sourcec
Persons, plants, animals, & minerals (5)d	9,000	(4,800, 13,300)	53
Vehicles (8)	4,100	(1,800, 6,300)	24
Tools, instruments, and equipment (7)	1,800	(800, 2,900)	11
Discharge disposition from ED
Treated and released	16,600	(9,000, 24,300)	98

^a Numbers and percentages do not add to totals or 100 because of rounding and omission of data not meeting NEISS-Work reporting requirements.
^b This estimate is provided for information only as the variance does not meet NEISS-Work reporting requirements. Use this number with caution as the higher variance indicates it is less stable than other reported estimates.
^c Events and sources are coded using Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System (OIICS) (version 2.01). The numbers in parentheses after each category represent major division codes in the OIICS hierarchical coding structure.
^d The majority of these injuries involved other people or bodily motion of the injured worker themselves.

 

Table 3: More than one-third of sprain and strain injuries involved the EMS clinician’s upper trunk. Many sprains and strains, but not all, were noted in connection with bodily reactions or exertion. Falls and various other injury events were occasionally related to sprains or strains but were not reportable in 2020.

Table 3: Selected characteristics of EMS clinician sprain and strain injuries treated in US hospital emergency departments, 2020

	Number of injuriesa	95% confidence interval	Percenta
Total sprain and strain injuries	4,000	(1,900, 6,200)	24
Body part affected
Lower and upper trunk, inc. neck & shoulder	1,800	(800, 2,700)	44
Lower extremity	1,600b	(400, 2,800)	40
Eventb
Overexertion & bodily reaction	2,300c	(800, 3,800)	56
Sourceb
Persons, plants, animals, and mineralsd	2,300c	(800, 3,700)	57

^a Numbers and percentages do not add to totals or 100 because of rounding and omission of data not meeting NEISS-Work reporting requirements.
^b Events and sources are coded using Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System (OIICS) (version 2.01). The numbers in parentheses after each category represent codes in the OIICS hierarchical coding structure.
^c This estimate is provided for information only as the variance does not meet NEISS-Work reporting requirements. Use this number with caution as the higher variance indicates it is less stable than other reported estimates.
^d The majority of these injuries involved other people or bodily motion of the injured worker themselves.

Note: These data were updated on March 11, 2022 due to an analysis error.

Table 1: Among EMS clinicians treated in emergency departments (EDs) for an occupational injury, the majority of clinicians were men. About half of the injured EMS clinicians were less than 35 years of age.

Table 1: Demographics of injured EMS clinicians treated in US hospital emergency departments, 2019

	Number of injuriesa	95% confidence interval	Percent
Total	17,500	(9,600, 25,300)	100
Sex
Male	10,600	(5,500, 15,600)	61
Female	6,900	(3,400, 10,300)	39
Age group (in yrs)
<25	1,900	(900, 3,000)	11
25-34	7,100	(3,300, 11,000)	41
35-44	4,500	(2,000, 7,100)	26
>44	3,900	(2,200, 5,600)	22

^a Numbers do not add to totals or 100 because of rounding.

 

Table 2: Among EMS clinician injuries, sprains and strains were the most common diagnosis. Most injuries affected the hand and upper trunk. The greatest portion of injuries involved overexertions and bodily reactions. The second most common injury event was violence. For all of the EMS injuries, the most common sources which directly produced the injury were the EMS clinician themselves or another person such as a patient.

Table 2: Selected characteristics of EMS clinician injuries treated in US hospital emergency departments, 2019

	Number of injuriesa	95% confidence interval	Percenta
Total	17,500	(9,600, 25,300)	100
Diagnosis
Sprains & strains	3,600b	(1,400, 5,800)	21
Contusions/abrasions	3,400	(1,300, 5,400)	19
Body part affected
Hand & finger	3,000	(1,700, 4,200)	17
Upper trunk, inc. neck & shoulder	2,900b	(1,100, 4,700)	17
Lower trunk	2,800	(1,400, 4,300)	16
Leg, including foot	2,400	(1,000, 3,700)	13
Arm	2,200b	(800, 3,600)	13
Eventc
Overexertion & bodily reaction (7)	4,600	(2,100, 7,100)	27
Violence (1)	3,600	(1,600, 5,500)	20
Harmful exposures (5)	3,300	(1,600, 4,900)	19
Contact with objects & equipment (6)	2,700	(1,200, 4,200)	16
Falls, slips, trips (4)	2,000	(900, 3,100)	12
Sourcec
Persons, plants, animals, & minerals (5)d	10,200	(5,300, 15,000)	58
Tools, instruments, and equipment (7)	2,000b	(600, 3,300)	11
Structures and surfaces (6)	1,900b	(700, 3,100)	11
Vehicles (8)	1,800	(800, 2,900)	11
Discharge disposition from ED
Treated and released	17,000	(9,000, 24,800)	97

^a Numbers and percentages do not add to totals or 100 because of rounding and omission of data not meeting NEISS-Work reporting requirements.
^b This estimate is provided for information only as the variance does not meet NEISS-Work reporting requirements. Use this number with caution as the higher variance indicates it is less stable than other reported estimates.
^c Events and sources are coded using Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System (OIICS) (version 2.01). The numbers in parentheses after each category represent major division codes in the OIICS hierarchical coding structure.
^d The majority of these injuries involved other people or bodily motion of the injured worker themselves.

 

Table 3: More than one-third of sprain and strain injuries involved the EMS clinician’s upper trunk. Many sprains and strains, but not all, were noted in connection with bodily reactions or exertion. Falls and various other injury events were occasionally related to sprains or strains but were not reportable in 2019. Almost 50% of all sprain and strain injuries were related to interactions with another person.

Table 3: Selected characteristics of EMS clinician sprain and strain injuries treated in US hospital emergency departments, 2019

	Number of injuriesa	95% confidence interval	Percenta
Total sprain and strain injuries	3,600c	(1,400, 5,800)	21
Body part affected
Lower and upper trunk, inc. neck & shoulder	2,300	(1,000, 3,600)	63
Eventb
Overexertion & bodily reaction	2,600c	(1,000, 4,100)	70
Sourceb
Person other than the worker (57)	2,000c	(700, 3,300)	56

^a Numbers and percentages do not add to totals or 100 because of rounding and omission of data not meeting NEISS-Work reporting requirements.
^b Events and sources are coded using Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System (OIICS) (version 2.01). The numbers in parentheses after each category represent codes in the OIICS hierarchical coding structure.
^c This estimate is provided for information only as the variance does not meet NEISS-Work reporting requirements. Use this number with caution as the higher variance indicates it is less stable than other reported estimates.

Note: These data were updated on March 11, 2022 due to an analysis error.

Table 1: Among EMS clinicians treated in emergency departments (EDs) for an occupational injury, the majority of clinicians were men. More than half of the injured EMS clinicians were less than 35 years of age.

Table 1: Demographics of injured EMS clinicians treated in US hospital emergency departments, 2018

	Number of injuriesa	95% confidence interval	Percent
Total	19,800	(9,600, 30,100)	100
Sex
Male	12,300	(5,900, 18,800)	62
Female	7,500	(3,300, 11,700)	38
Age group (in yrs)
<25	2,700	(1,200, 4,100)	14
25-34	8,400b	(2,300, 14,600)	43
35-44	5,300	(2,700, 7,800)	26
>44	3,500	(1,800, 5,100)	17

^a Numbers do not add to totals or 100 because of rounding.
^b This estimate is provided for information only as the variance does not meet NEISS-Work reporting requirements. Use this number with caution as the higher variance indicates it is less stable than other reported estimates.

 

Table 2: Among EMS clinician injuries, sprains and strains were the most common diagnosis. Most injuries affected the upper trunk and leg. The greatest portion of injuries involved overexertions and bodily reactions. The second most common injury event was exposures to harmful substances such as potentially infectious materials (e.g., body fluids). For all of the EMS injuries, the most common sources which directly produced the injury were the EMS clinician themselves or another person such as a patient.

Table 2: Selected characteristics of EMS clinician injuries treated in US hospital emergency departments, 2018

	Number of injuriesa	95% confidence interval	Percenta
Total	19,800	(9,600, 30,100)	100
Diagnosis
Sprains & strains	5,800b	(1,700, 9,800)	29
Contusions/abrasions	2,300	(1,100, 3,600)	12
Body part affected
Upper trunk, inc. neck & shoulder	3,200b	(500, 5,900)	16
Leg, including foot	3,200	(1,500, 4,800)	16
Hand & finger	2,900	(1,600, 4,100)	15
Lower trunk	2,700b	(1,100, 4,400)	14
Arm	1,700b	(400, 3,000)	9
Eventc
Overexertion & bodily reaction (7)	5,500b	(1,700, 9,200)	28
Harmful exposures (5)	4,700	(2,500, 6,900)	23
Violence (1)	3,300b	(200, 6,400)	17
Contact with objects & equipment (6)	2,600	(1,500, 3,800)	13
Transportation incidents (2)	2,200b	(700, 3,600)	11
Sourcec
Persons, plants, animals, & minerals (5)d	12,300b	(4,700, 19,900)	62
Vehicles (8)	3,400	(1,700, 5,200)	17
Discharge disposition from ED
Treated and released	19,500	(9,200, 29,700)	98

^a Numbers and percentages do not add to totals or 100 because of rounding and omission of data not meeting NEISS-Work reporting requirements.
^b This estimate is provided for information only as the variance does not meet NEISS-Work reporting requirements. Use this number with caution as the higher variance indicates it is less stable than other reported estimates.
^c Events and sources are coded using Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System (OIICS) (version 2.01). The numbers in parentheses after each category represent major division codes in the OIICS hierarchical coding structure.
^d The majority of these injuries involved other people or bodily motion of the injured worker themselves.

 

Table 3: The majority of sprain and strain injuries involved the EMS clinician’s trunk. Many sprains and strains, but not all, were noted in connection with bodily reactions or exertion. Falls and various other injury events were occasionally related to sprains or strains.

Table 3: Selected characteristics of EMS clinician sprain and strain injuries treated in US hospital emergency departments, 2018

	Number of injuriesa	95% confidence interval	Percenta
Total sprain and strain injuries	5,800b	(1,700, 9,800)	29
Body part affected
Lower trunk	1,600b	(600, 2,600)	28
Eventc
Overexertion & bodily reaction	3,800b	(900, 6,600)	65
Sourcec
Person, plants, animals, and mineralsd	3,700b	(600, 6,700)	63

^a Numbers and percentages do not add to totals or 100 because of rounding and omission of data not meeting NEISS-Work reporting requirements.
^b This estimate is provided for information only as the variance does not meet NEISS-Work reporting requirements. Use this number with caution as the higher variance indicates it is less stable than other reported estimates.
^c Events and sources are coded using Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System (OIICS) (version 2.01). The numbers in parentheses after each category represent codes in the OIICS hierarchical coding structure.
^d The majority of these injuries involved other people or bodily motion of the injured worker themselves.

Table 1: Among EMS clinicians treated in emergency departments (EDs) for an occupational injury, the majority of clinicians were men. More than half of the injured EMS clinicians were less than 35 years of age.

Table 1: Demographics of injured EMS clinicians treated in US hospital emergency departments, 2017

	Number of injuries	95% confidence interval	Percent
Total	21,200	(12,800, 29,700)	100
Sex
Male	14,800	(8,900, 20,600)	70
Female	6,500	(3,300, 9,600)	30
Age group (in yrs)
<25	3,700	(1,800, 5,500)	17
25-34	9,300	(4,900, 13,600)	44
35-44	4,500	(2,600, 6,300)	21
>44	3,800	(2,400, 5,200)	18

 

Table 2: Among EMS clinician injuries, sprains and strains were the most common diagnosis. Most injuries affected the hands and fingers and upper trunk. The greatest portion of injuries involved overexertions and bodily reactions. About 40% of the overexertion and bodily reaction events were specifically identified as overexertion during lifting. The second most common event related to injuries was exposures to harmful substances such as potentially infectious materials (e.g., body fluids). For all of the EMS injuries, the most common sources which directly produced the injury were the EMS clinician themselves or another person such as a patient.

Table 2: Selected characteristics of EMS clinician injuries treated in US hospital emergency departments, 2017

	Number of injuriesa	95% confidence interval	Percenta
Total	21,200	(12,800, 29,700)	100
Diagnosis
Sprains & strains	5,700	(3,400, 8,100)	27
Contusions/abrasions	2,700b	(900, 4,600)	13
Puncture and laceration	1,600	(700, 2,500)	8
Body part affected
Hand & finger	4,100	(2,500, 5,700)	19
Upper trunk, inc. neck & shoulder	3,500	(1,800, 5,200)	17
Lower trunk	3,100	(2,000, 4,300)	15
Leg, including foot	3,100	(1,700, 4,600)	15
Arm	2,200b	(800, 3,500)	10
Eventc
Overexertion & bodily reaction (7)	5,800	(3,500, 8,100)	27
Harmful exposures (5)	5,500	(3,300, 6,200)	26
Violence (1)	3,500b	(800, 5,800)	17
Contact with objects & equipment (6)	2,200	(1,100, 3,300)	10
Falls, slips, trips (4)	1,700b	(700, 2,700)	8
Sourcec
Persons, plants, animals, & minerals (5)d	12,000	(6,300, 17,700)	57
Vehicles (8)	4,000	(2,200, 5,800)	19
Tools, instruments, and equipment (7)	2,300	(1,200, 3,400)	11
Discharge disposition from ED
Treated and released	21,000	(12,600, 29,600)	99

^a Numbers and percentages do not add to totals or 100 because of rounding and omission of data not meeting NEISS-Work reporting requirements.
^b This estimate is provided for information only as the variance does not meet NEISS-Work reporting requirements. Use this number with caution as the higher variance indicates it is less stable than other reported estimates.
^c Events and sources are coded using Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System (OIICS) (version 2.01). The numbers in parentheses after each category represent major division codes in the OIICS hierarchical coding structure.
^d The majority of these injuries involved other people or bodily motion of the injured worker themselves.

 

Table 3: The majority of sprain and strain injuries involved the EMS clinician’s trunk. Many sprains and strains, but not all, were noted in connection with bodily reactions or exertion. Falls and various other injury events were occasionally related to sprains or strains. Almost 40% of all sprain and strain injuries were related to interactions with a patient.

Table 3: Selected characteristics of EMS clinician sprain and strain injuries treated in US hospital emergency departments, 2017

	Number of injuriesa	95% confidence interval	Percenta
Total	5,800	(3,500, 8,100)	27
Body part affected
Lower trunk	1,800	(1,000, 2,600)	32
Lower extremity	1,800	(900, 2,700)	32
Upper trunk, inc. neck & shoulder	1,400	(600, 2,200)	24
Eventc
Overexertion & bodily reaction	3,900	(2,100, 5,700)	69
Sourceb
Patient (574)	2,100	(1,100, 3,200)	37

^a Numbers and percentages do not add to totals or 100 because of rounding and omission of data not meeting NEISS-Work reporting requirements.
^b Events and sources are coded using Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System (OIICS). The numbers in parentheses after each category represent codes in the OIICS hierarchical coding structure.

Table 1: Among EMS clinicians treated in emergency departments (EDs) for an occupational injury, the majority of clinicians were men. Just over half of the injured EMS clinicians were less than 35 years of age.

Table 1: Demographics of injured EMS clinicians treated in US hospital emergency departments, 2016

	Number of injuries	95% confidence interval	Percenta
Total	21,900	(13,900, 29,800)	100
Sex
Male	13,900	(8,100, 19,700)	64
Female	8,000	(4,900, 11,000)	36
Age group (in yrs)
<25	3,000	(1,500, 4,600)	14
25-34	8,500	(4,700, 12,200)	39
35-44	5,600	(3,100, 8,100)	26
>44	4,800	(2,900, 6,700)	22

^a Percentages do not add to 100 because of rounding.

 

Table 2: Among EMS clinician injuries, sprains and strains were the most common diagnosis. Most injuries affected the upper trunk and hands and fingers. The greatest portion of injuries involved overexertions and bodily reactions. More than 40% of the overexertion and bodily reaction events were specifically identified as overexertion during lifting. The second most common event related to injuries was exposures to harmful substances such as potentially infectious materials (e.g., body fluids). For all of the EMS injuries, the most common sources which directly produced the injury were the EMS clinician themselves or another person such as a patient.

Table 2: Selected characteristics of EMS clinician injuries treated in US hospital emergency departments, 2016

	Number of injuriesa	95% confidence interval	Percenta
Total	21,900	(13,900, 29,800)	100
Diagnosis
Sprains & strains	7,500	(4,800, 10,100)	34
Puncture and laceration	2,400b	(500, 4,200)	11
Contusions/abrasions	1,800	(800, 2,800)	8
Body part affected
Upper trunk, inc. neck & shoulder	4,500	(2,100, 7,000)	21
Lower trunk	3,900	(1,900, 5,900)	18
Leg, including foot	3,300	(1,900, 4,800)	15
Hand & finger	3,100	(1,700, 4,400)	14
Arm	2,200	(1,000, 3,400)	10
Eventc
Overexertion & bodily reaction (7)	8,000	(4,900, 11,100)	36
Harmful exposures (5)	4,200	(2,500, 6,200)	19
Violence (1)	3,500b	(1,200, 5,800)	16
Contact with objects & equipment (6)	2,500	(1,500, 3,500)	11
Falls, slips, trips (4)	1,800b	(700, 3,000)	8
Sourcec
Persons, plants, animals, & minerals (5)d	13,500	(7,900, 19,200)	62
Vehicles (8)	2,600	(1,400, 3,800)	12
Tools, instruments, and equipment (7)	2,300	(1,100, 3,500)	11
Structures & surfaces (6)	1,400	(700, 2,200)	7
Discharge disposition from ED
Treated and released	21,700	(13,800, 29,600)	99

^a Numbers and percentages do not add to totals or 100 because of rounding and omission of data not meeting NEISS-Work reporting requirements.
^b This estimate is provided for information only as the variance does not meet NEISS-Work reporting requirements. Use this number with caution as the higher variance indicates it is less stable than other reported estimates.
^c Events and sources are coded using Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System (OIICS) (version 2.01). The numbers in parentheses after each category represent major division codes in the OIICS hierarchical coding structure.
^d The majority of these injuries involved other people or bodily motion of the injured worker themselves.

 

Table 3: The majority of sprain and strain injuries involved the EMS clinician’s trunk. Many sprains and strains, but not all, were noted in connection with bodily reactions or exertion. Falls and various other injury events were occasionally related to sprains or strains. Almost 40% of all sprain and strain injuries were related to interactions with a patient.

Table 3: Selected characteristics of EMS clinician sprain and strain injuries treated in US hospital emergency departments, 2016

	Number of injuriesa	95% confidence interval	Percenta
Total	7,500	(4,800, 10,100)	34
Body part affected
Lower trunk	2,600	(1,300, 3,900)	35
Upper trunk, inc. neck & shoulder	2,500b	(1,000, 3,900)	33
Lower extremity	1,800	(1,000, 2,600)	24
Eventc
Overexertion & bodily reaction	5,400	(3,200, 7,600)	72
Sourcec
Patient (574)	3,000	(1,500, 4,500)	40

^a Numbers and percentages do not add to totals or 100 because of rounding and omission of data not meeting NEISS-Work reporting requirements.
^b This estimate is provided for information only as the variance does not meet NEISS-Work reporting requirements. Use this number with caution as the higher variance indicates it is less stable than other reported estimates.
^c Events and sources are coded using Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System (OIICS). The numbers in parentheses after each category represent codes in the OIICS hierarchical coding structure.