The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identifies the following top 10 leading causes of non-fatal injuries treated in emergency rooms nationwide in 2004. Explanatory language is included for most listed causes.

1. Unintentional Fall (8.06 million)

2. Struck-By/Against (4.4 million) - Injury resulting from being struck by (hit) or crushed by a human, animal, or inanimate object or force other than a vehicle or machinery; injury caused by striking (hitting) against a human, animal, or inanimate object or force other than a vehicle or machinery.

3. Over-Exertion (3.3 million) - Working the body or a body part too hard, causing damage to muscle, tendon, ligament, cartilage, joint, or peripheral nerve (e.g., common cause of strains, sprains, and twisted ankles).  This category includes overexertion from lifting, pushing, or pulling or from excessive force.

4. Motor Vehicle Driver/Occupant Injury (3 million)

5. Cutting/Piercing/Stabbing - (2.3 million) Injury resulting from an incision, slash, perforation, or puncture by a pointed or sharp instrument, weapon, or object.  This category does not include injury from being struck by or against a blunt object (such as the side of a night stand) or bite wounds; these injuries fall in the category "struck by/against."

6. Bite/Sting (other than dog) (1.1 million) - Injury from a poisonous or non-poisonous bite or sting through the skin, other than a dog bite. This category includes human bite, cat bite, snake or lizard bite, insect bite, stings from coral or jellyfish, or bites and stings by other plants and animals.

7. Other Specified Causes (821,000) - Injury associated with any other specified cause that does not fit another category. Some examples include causes such as electric current, electrocution, explosive blast, fireworks, overexposure to radiation, welding flash burn, or animal scratch.

8. Other Transport (624,000) - Injury to a person boarding, alighting, or riding in or on all other transport vehicles involved in a collision or other event with another vehicle, pedestrian, or animal not described above. It includes railway, water, air, space, animal and animal-drawn conveyances (e.g., horseback riding), ATVs, battery-powered carts, ski lifts, and other cable cars not on rails.

9. Foreign Body (609,000) - Injury resulting from entrance of a foreign body into or through the eye or other natural body opening that does not block an airway or cause suffocation (asphyxia). Examples include pebble or dirt in eye, BB in ear, or small children's toys in esophagus.

10. Unknown/Unspecified (590,000) - Injury for which the emergency department report does not provide enough information to describe the cause of injury.