Bizarre accidents that put us in hospital

13 April 2012

Melting pyjamas and a brush with an alligator were among accidents which put almost a million Britons in hospital last year, figures revealed today.

A host of bizarre incidents were littered in the statistics of accident and emergency admissions unveiled by the Department of Health.

Creatures played their part as 451 people were stung by hornets, 46 fell prey to venomous snakes and lizards, 24 were bitten by rats and 15 were injured in contact with a marine mammal.

Two people were struck down by centipedes and one was attacked by an alligator, but not surprisingly dogs were the main predators on humans as they accounted for 3,508 victims of bites.

Natural hazards claimed their share of accident admissions with 54 people struck by lightning, 37 victims of "volcanic eruption", 25 people needed treatment for "catacylsmic storms", 12 suffered from avalanches and seven were victims of earthquakes.

A further 107 were exposed to "unspecified forces of nature".

Four people suffered exposure to noise, four to vibration and 40 came into contact with a high-pressure jet.

Acts of nature were not thought to be involved in the 22 incidents involving the "ignition or melting of nightwear", with stray cigarettes and faulty electric blankets likely to blame.

The common fall was one of the major accident causes for the 12 months to last April with 119,203 "unspecified" falls, 24,475 from stairs and steps, 12,042 involving the bed, 7,114 from a chair and 4,533 from ice skates, roller skates, skis or skateboards.

The cost of accidents to the National Health Service is understood to be about £1 billion a year.

The definitions for the admissions were devised by the World Health Organisation, with some of the accidents taking place abroad which then led to hospital treatment back home.

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