Numerous studies have linked exposure to ultraviolet rays from the sun and indoor tanning beds to skin cancer risk, but now a new report suggests that skin burns, passing out, and eye injuries also occur at indoor tanning salons. The new findings are published online by JAMA Internal Medicine.
“Most patients were treated in the ED and released, not requiring hospitalization. However, burns severe enough to warrant an ED visit clearly indicate overexposure to UV radiation and increase skin cancer risk,” the study authors conclude.
Gery P. Guy, Jr, PhD, MPH, of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, and co-authors analyzed nonfatal indoor tanning-related injury data from the 2003 to 2012 from a nationally representative sample of hospital emergency departments. The authors identified 405 nonfatal indoor tanning-related injuries.
About 3,234 indoor tanning-related injuries, on average, were treated each year in US hospitals during the study period. Individuals injured tended to be female (82.2%), non-Hispanic white (77.8%) and between the ages of 18 and 24 (35.5%). Most of the injuries were skin burns (79.5%), syncope (passing out, 9.5%) and eye injuries (5.8%), according to the study. The number of indoor tanning-related injuries decreased from 6,487 in 2003 to 1,957 in 2012, which may be due to a reduction in indoor tanning.
“Most patients were treated in the ED and released, not requiring hospitalization. However, burns severe enough to warrant an ED visit clearly indicate overexposure to UV radiation and increase skin cancer risk,” the study authors conclude.
Source: plasticsurgerypractice.com, published December 16th, 2014
