Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 November 2014
401. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Health the number of deaths as a result of choking each year in the past five years; the number in each year that related to children; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44102/14]
View answerInformation on cause of death is not routinely collected by my Department. However, the data in the following table has been provided by the Central Statistics Office. The number of deaths with an underlying cause of death of choking over the last five years relating to adults and children is set out in the table. The Deputy should note that the number of deaths refer to those due to inhalation of gastric contents, inhalation and ingestion of food causing obstruction of respiratory tract, or inhalation and ingestion of other objects causing obstruction of respiratory tract.
A Child Injury Prevention Network was established this year, bringing together the Department of Health, the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, the HSE, the Institute of Public Health and other key stakeholders to promote a more co-ordinated response to child injury prevention, and this group has been looking at the current information on child injury with the aim of looking to spread good practice in terms of prevention.
Table - Number of deaths in Ireland from choking in adults and children, 2009 to 2013
|
Year |
Number of Deaths |
Number of Deaths |
Number of Deaths |
|
- |
Children aged 0-17 |
Adults aged 18 and over |
Total - All ages |
|
2009 |
0 |
40 |
40 |
|
2010 |
2 |
48 |
50 |
|
2011 |
1 |
32 |
33 |
|
2012 (p) |
1 |
28 |
29 |
|
2013 (p) |
1 |
32 |
33 |
Source: Central Statistics Office
Notes:
(i) p - data for 2012 and 2013 are provisional.
(ii) refers to deaths from inhalation of gastric contents, inhalation and ingestion of food causing obstruction of respiratory tract, or inhalation and ingestion of other objects causing obstruction of respiratory tract. The relevant International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes are W78, W79, W80.
