U.S. Preventive Services Task Force
1996
Recommendation
Periodic counseling of the parents of children on measures to reduce the risk of unintentional household and recreational injuries is recommended.
Counseling to prevent household and recreational injuries is also recommended for adolescents and adults based on the proven efficacy of risk reduction, although the effectiveness of counseling these patients to prevent injuries has not been adequately evaluated.
Persons with alcohol or drug problems should be identified, counseled and monitored. Those who use alcohol or illicit drugs should be warned against engaging in potentially dangerous activities while intoxicated.
Counseling elderly patients on specific measures to prevent falls is recommended based on fair evidence that these measures reduce the risk of falls, although the effectiveness of counseling elders to prevent falls has not been adequately evaluated.
More intensive individualized multi-factorial intervention is recommended for high-risk elderly patients in settings where adequate resources to deliver such services are available. There is insufficient evidence to recommend for or against the use of external hip protectors to prevent fall injuries.
Related recommendations on motor vehicle accidents and pedestrian injuries are provided in Counseling to Prevent Motor Vehicle Injuries.
Guide to Clinical Preventive Services, 2nd Edition
Counseling to Prevent Household and Recreational Injuries, 1996 (PDF File, 149 KB)
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