Dangers Of Cell Phone Use

1 min

Injuries to the head and neck – including cuts, bruises and internal injuries stemming from inattention during cell phone use – are on the upswing, according to doctors at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. About half of the 2,501 injuries reported through one database between 1998 and 2017 stemmed from distracted driving and one-third from distracted walking. Nationwide, the estimated total of these injuries during the same period is 76,043. The head and neck injuries reported by the Rutgers’ team often occur when people are walking and are so focused on their phones, that they’re not paying attention to where they’re going or obstacles in the way. The result can be a fall that results in a broken nose or jaw, according to study leader Boris Paskhover, M.D. His team found that the most common cell phone related injuries were to the head (33 percent) and neck (13 percent) but other injuries – and some deaths – have been attributed to being distracted by a cellphone while walking. Or driving.

Source:
Boris Paskhover et al, “Head and Neck Injuries Associated With Cell Phone Use,” JAMA Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, December 5, 2019, doi: doi.org/10.1001/jamaoto.2019.3678

More information from this week’s bulletin: