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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2021 Apr 1.
Published in final edited form as: Inj Prev. 2020 May 4;27(2):111–117. doi: 10.1136/injuryprev-2019-043607

Table 1.

Average per-person 1-year number and associated value of lost work days due to non-fatal injuries (by mechanism) initially treated in an emergency department 1 October 2014 through 30 September 2015, employer health insurance enrollees age 18–64 years, MarketScan

Mechanism Measure Workplace absence Short-term disability Workers' compensation Total days and cost*
Cut/pierce Absent days, n 2.1 (0.1–4.0) 1.9 (1.2–2.7) 3.9 (2.4–5.4)
Estimated cost US288 (13–564) US$267 (162–373) US$555 (344–754)
Drowning/submersion Absent days, n
Estimated cost
Fall Absent days, n 5.3 (3.6–7.0) 10.5 (9.4–11.6) 1.0 (0.5–1.6) 16.8 (15.4–18.4)
Estimated cost US$744 (501–987) US$1476 (1322–1631) US$142 (65–221) US$2362 (2164–2582)
Fire/burn Absent days, n
Estimated cost
Fire/flame Absent days, n
Estimated cost
Hot object/substance Absent days, n
Estimated cost
Firearm Absent days, n
Estimated cost
Machinery Absent days, n
Estimated cost
Motor vehicle traffic Absent days, n 6.6 (4.1–9.2) 14.7 (12.5–16.9) 2.2 (0.9–3.4) 23.5 (20.9–26.0)
Estimated cost US$931 (574–1287) US$2065 (1758–2373) US$302 (131–472) US$3298 (2932–3650)
Occupant Absent days, n 5.4 (2.5–8.2) 13.4 (10.7–16.0) 3.3 (1.2–5.4) 22.0 (18.8–25.2)
Estimated cost US$755 (354–1156) US$1881 (1509–2254) US$463 (166–758) US$3099 (2650–3545)
Motorcyclist Absent days, n 12.4 (4.9–19.9) 31.7 (18.6–44.8) 44.1 (33.2–54.8)
Estimated cost US$1741 (683–2797) US$4456 (2618–6293) US$6196 (4662–7702)
Pedal cyclist Absent days, n
Estimated cost
Pedestrian Absent days, n
Estimated cost
Unspecified motor vehicle Absent days, n 11.3 (7.2–15.3) 11.3 (7.2–15.3)
Estimated cost US$1586 (1017–2155) US$1586 (1017–2155)
Other pedal cyclist Absent days, n 6.4 (3.0–9.8) 6.4 (3.0–9.8)
Estimated cost US$900 (418–1381) US$900 (418–1381)
Other pedestrian Absent days, n
Estimated cost
Other transport Absent days, n 17.8 (9.6–25.9) 17.8 (9.6–25.9)
Estimated cost US$2496 (1344–3647) US$2496 (1344–3647)
Natural/environmental Absent days, n
Estimated cost
Bites and stings Absent days, n 1.5 (0.4–2.6) 1.5 (0.4–2.6)
Estimated cost US$210 (51–370) US$210 (51–370)
Overexertion Absent days, n 3.8 (1.4–6.2) 7.8 (6.2–9.3) 1.2 (0.2–2.1) 12.7 (10.6–14.8)
Estimated cost US$533 (200–868) US$1091 (877–1305) US$162 (32–290) US$1786 (1488–2084)
Poisoning Absent days, n 13.0 (7.3–18.7) 13.0 (7.3–18.7)
Estimated cost US$1826 (1028–2625) US$1826 (1028–2625)
Struck by/against Absent days, n 4.6 (3.6–5.6) 4.6 (3.6–5.6)
Estimated cost US$644 (509–780) US$644 (509–780)
Suffocation Absent days, n
Estimated cost
Other specified, classifiable Absent days, n 3.1 (1.5–4.6) 3.1 (1.5–4.6)
Estimated cost US$433(214–651) US$433(214–651)
Other specified, NEC Absent days, n 5.4 (1.6–9.2) 6.7 (4.8–8.5) 1.4 (0.2–2.6) 13.5 (10.3–16.7)
Estimated cost US$758 (218–1299) US$935 (678–1192) US$200 (28–370) US$1893 (1452–2349)
Unspecified Absent days, n 7.1 (5.0–9.1) 7.1 (5.0–9.1)
Estimated cost US$995 (707–1282) US$995 (707–1282)
Adverse effects Absent days, n
Estimated cost
E-code missing Absent days, n 3.6 (2.9–4.3) 6.3 (6.0–6.7) 1.3 (1.0–1.5) 11.2 (10.6–11.8)
Estimated cost US$508 (406–607) US$889 (839–939) US$180 (145–215) US$1576 (1493–1658)
Total Absent days, n 3.6 (3.1–4.1) 6.6 (6.3–6.9) 1.1 (0.9–1.3) 11.3 (10.8–11.8)
Total Estimated cost US$505 (429–581) US$928 (889–966) US$153 (127–179) US$1586 (1518–1652)

All costs are 2015 USD. Values are mean (95% CI or prediction interval (PI)—in the case that multiple estimates by absence type were probabilistically combined). Blank cells indicate results were not calculated for the injury type due to (1) low number of observations (<50 injury or control enrollees with >0 absences) in the data source, or (2) the regression-adjusted attributable number of lost work days due to the injury type was not statistically significantly higher among injured patients compared with control enrollees. Number of injury patients and controls, average absence days by type, and the simple mean difference between injury and control enrollees demonstrated in online supplementary table 1. Source data: MarketScan Health and Productivity Management dataset, 2014–2016. Injury classification is based on the ICD-9-CM E-code Matrix (www.cdc.gov/nchs/injury/injury_tools.htm).

*

For injury types with just one attributable absence type value reported (eg, ‘Unspecified motor vehicle’), ‘Total’ days reflects that absence type’s mean (95% CI) regression-adjusted value. Otherwise, variance for ‘Total’ days estimates was based on a probabilistic combination of variance for multiple absence type estimates (eg, workplace absence+short-term disability absence estimates for cut/pierce injuries) using Excel Palisade @RISK (Ithaca, NY). For those calculations, 1000 sums drawn from Pert distributions representing each absence type—with mean (95% CI) estimates of absent days by type included as the distributions’ most likely, minimum and maximum values—were computed, and the middle 95% of resulting values comprise the reported PI range. Total cost was assessed as the mean number of days and 95% CI or PI values multiplied by the estimated value of lost work days described in the Methods text (US$141).

‘Total’ category models controlled for mechanism.

NEC, not elsewhere classifiable.