Even though the ski season officially lasts until following Easter in some ski areas, an initial winter assessment already shows that there were significantly more skiing and snowboarding accidents this year than last year. The numbers at the Salzkammergut Clinic are generally the highest in the country.
This winter, 811 patients have already had to be treated following skiing accidents at the three clinic locations in Bad Ischl, Gmunden and Vöcklabruck. Last year there were only 655 up to this point.
The age group between ten and 19 years is particularly often affected. Skiers make up 90 percent of accident victims, snowboarders eight percent. Most accidents on the slopes happen on weekends, and 92 percent of the accident victims caused the fall themselves. Only in eight percent is third-party negligence not ruled out – then the police are called in.
“Severe knee injuries, lower leg fractures and shoulder injuries are typical injury patterns that we see in our outpatient clinics,” says Johanna Berger, head of trauma surgery at the Salzkammergut Clinic Bad Ischl. “It is very positive that the number of skull injuries that we have to treat is decreasing, even if the injuries otherwise tend to be more serious.” Doctors also report pelvic fractures, which can sometimes even be life-threatening, and injuries to internal organs such as Spleen ruptures that require surgery.
