BLEEDING INJURIES IN PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL - ESTIMATING THE RISK FOR HIV TRANSMISSION

Objective: To determine the risk for bleeding injuries in professional football and to estimate the risk for transmission of the human immun odeficiency virus (HIV) through such injuries. Design: A prospective, observational study. Participants: Professional football players from 11 teams of the National Football League were observed during 155 regu lar season games from September through December 1992. Measurements: T he frequencies of bleeding injuries were calculated in association wit h environmental and athletic factors. Using this information, HIV prev alence, and data on transmission of HIV in other circumstances, the ri sk for transmission of HIV during football games was estimated. Result s: 575 bleeding injuries (average, 3.7 per game for each team) involvi ng 538 players (average, 3.5 players on each team per game) were obser ved. Approximately 88% of the bleeding injuries were abrasions; the re mainder were lacerations. Bleeding injuries were markedly more frequen t during games played on artificial surfaces, during games played in d omed stadiums, and on teams with a final win/loss percentage of 0.500 or lower. Using data on the prevalence of HIV among college men and ra tes of HIV transmission in the health care setting, the risk for HIV t ransmission to each player was' estimated to be less than 1 per 85 mil lion game contacts. Conclusions: Although injuries occur in profession al football competitions, bleeding injuries, especially lacerations, o ccur infrequently. We estimate that the risk for HIV transmission duri ng such competition is extremely remote. The role of artificial playin g surfaces on the incidence or severity of bleeding injuries should be investigated.