Water-Tubing Injuries on the Rise FRIDAY, Feb. 15 (HealthDay
News) -- Water-tubing injuries in the United States increased by
nearly 250 percent over 19 years, a new study finds. The number
of injuries rose from less than 2,100 in 1991 to more than 7,200
in 2009, according to researchers at the Center for Injury
Research and Policy at Nationwide Children's Hospital in
Columbus, Ohio. More than 83 percent of the injuries occurred
during summer months, which means that more than 65 tubing-
related injuries are treated daily in U.S. emergency departments
during the summer, the study authors said. In water tubing,
people ride on an inner tube that's pulled by a boat. The
activity has become increasingly popular over the years. "Water-
tubing can be a fun and exciting activity," study co-author Lara
McKenzie said in a hospital news release. "However, the
increasing number of injuries is concerning and results from a
participant's position on the water tube, lack of directional
control, velocity and the number of rid