Patterns of injury amongst cruise ship passengers requiring hospitalisation

Background: The number of commercial cruise ship passengers continues to rise and is projected to reach 27.2 million passengers worldwide in 2018. Accidental injury aboard these ships can result in serious morbidity and mortality. This study examines the injury mechanisms, patterns, demographics, and outcomes of these injuries which are serious enough to require hospitalisation in order to facilitate administrative, financial, and medical decision making to aid in injury prevention and treatment. Materials and methods: This is a cross-sectional, retrospective, registry-based study of adult patients sustaining injury while on a cruise ship admitted to a Level I Trauma Centre in the United States over a 2-year period. Data on demographics, injury type and severity, surgical management, hospital charges, length of stay, mortality, and discharge disposition were recorded. Results: Sixty seven patients were identified and included in the analysis. 70.1% of patients were 65 or older and a majority were female (59.7%). The most common mechanism of injury was a ground level fall (79.1%), and the most common injury encountered was a femur fracture (52.2%) which involved the acetabulo-femoral joint in 85.7% of cases. Traumatic brain injuries were uncommon occurring in 7.5% of cases. There were no fatalities in this series. Conclusions: The most common injuries aboard cruise ships requiring hospitalisation occur in the geriatric population as a result of a ground level fall. Most commonly, the injuries are long bone fractures, with femur fractures occurring most frequently and accounting for over half of all injuries sustained. Resources and protocols for pre-hospital management of cruise ship injuries should prioritise these patients, and fall prevention measures for this demographic should be mandatory aboard all cruise ships.