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The Florida Department of Health works to protect, promote, and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county, and community efforts.

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Injury Prevention

Florida Department of Health Gulf County

What is Injury?

Injury is defined as “Damage or harm caused to the structure or function of the body caused by an outside agent or force.”

The major categories of injury are unintentional (accidental) and intentional. Unintentional injuries include those that result from motor vehicle collisions, falls, fires, poisonings, drowning, suffocation, choking, animal bites, recreational and sports-related activities. Intentional injuries result from interpersonal or self-inflicted violence, and include homicide, assaults, suicide and suicide attempts, child abuse and neglect (includes child sexual abuse), intimate partner violence, elder abuse, and sexual assault.

Common injuries include: poisonings, fractures, open wounds, sprains and strains, etc. The agents or forces causing these injuries are referred to as the external cause of injury and include, but are not limited to: motor vehicle crashes, falls, fires, firearms, poisonings, drownings, suffocation, animal bites, and recreational and sports-related activities.