Winter activities lead to thousands of hospitalisations

While winter weather makes for great recreational activity among outdoor enthusiasts, the excursions aren't without a considerable number of bumps and bruises.

According to medical data recently released by the Canadian Institute for Health Information, snowboarding and skiing injuries were particularly common last year. In the 2010-2011 winter period, more than 2,300 people were admitted to hospitals for accidents involving skiing or snowboarding, with hockey-related hospitalisations being the second most common. Other activities that frequently resulted in injury were snowmobiling, ice skating and tobogganing with 1,126, 889 and 171 hospitalisations, respectively.

Greg Webster, director of Primary Health Care Information and Clinical Registries at CIHI, said that while winter is one of the best seasons of the year for fun and enjoyment, it can also be one of the most dangerous ones without proper planning.

"There is a lot to enjoy about Canadian winters, but safety and precautions are important across all age groups," said Webster. "Every year, more than 5,000 Canadians get seriously injured - requiring at least one night's hospital stay - due to a winter sport or recreational activity."

He added that this total doesn't take into account emergency department or doctor's office visits, so the total number of annual injuries resulting from winter recreational activities is even greater.

Emergency department visits in Ontario for these activities totalled 45,270 last winter, an average of 285 ED admissions per day, CIHI noted.

While any injury is cause for concern, one of the more positive findings from last year was that there wasn't a noted increase in the number of hospitalisations compared with previous years. This holds true for head injuries as well, as the 415 Canadians admitted to the hospital after receiving a blow to the head was on par with the previous four years, CIHI confirmed. However, among those who sustained head injuries, 135 were for skiing or snowboarding, with 759 head injury hospitalisations relating to skiing or snowboarding since 2006.

"When it comes to winter, it's important that Canadians get outside to play and enjoy our slopes," said Natlie Yanchar, a physician and associate professor of surgery and emergency medicine at Dalhousie University. "Wearing a helmet is important for all ages to prevent a fun day in the snow from ending in tragedy - without question, it reduces the risk of serious head injuries in case of a crash."

Wearing a helmet may also be advisable for those who prefer skating over skiing, as ice hockey and ice skating led to more than 2,000 hospital admissions.

In addition to wearing head protection, children should take other precautions as well. Health Canada advises parents to make sure their kids skate in the same direction as everyone else on the ice to prevent collisions. Children who aren't familiar with skating should be watched especially closely and advised to travel on the outer portions of the rink so they have access to railings.

If skating will be done outdoors, however, Health Canada reminds parents to make sure to check the ice before their kids start to skate. Occasionally, ice may not be thick enough to traverse on, which is why parents should look for signs of cracking or melting. If spotted, the pond or lake should be avoided.