Overseas visitors admitted to Queensland hospitals for water-related injuries

Objective: To determine the number of overseas visitors admitted to Queensl and hospitals for water-related injuries over three years, the causes of th eir injuries, the resulting conditions treated, and the type of hospitals t o which they were admitted. Design: Retrospective analysis of admissions of overseas visitors to Queens land hospitals over the three financial years 1995/96, 1996/97 and 1997/98. Patients: 296 overseas visitors admitted for water-related injuries, identi fied from hospital records by their usual place of residence. Main outcome measures: Number of admissions, causes of injuries, conditions treated. and bed days occupied by these patients at different types of hos pitals (metropolitan, regional and rural public hospitals, and private hosp itals). Results: The 296 overseas visitors accounted for a total of 596 separate ad missions, many of these the result of patients with decompression illness b eing admitted several times to a regional hospital hyperbaric chamber for t reatment as day patients. The largest number of injuries involved the use o f diving equipment. The main conditions treated were decompression illness (54.7%), fractures and dislocations (15.5%), and drowning and non-fatal sub mersion (14.9%). Overall, overseas visitors admitted to hospital following a water-related incident occupied 1215 bed days; 90% of these admissions we re to regional hospitals. Conclusions: The main reason for admission of overseas visitors is for deco mpression illness, suggesting that the prevention of injuries among scuba d ivers requires further coordinated efforts by health and tourism authoritie s.