Galway Bay fm newsroom- A new study conducted in the A&E department at Portiuncula Hospital in Ballinasloe has examined all sports related injuries that were treated at the hospital over a three month period last year.
Hurling and camogie were found to be the main cause of sports injuries during the research.
The audit was carried out by Advanced Nurse Practitioners in Ballinalsoe to identify the prevalence of minor sports injuries.
The study aims to educate people on how to reduce the risk of being injured while taking part in a sport by anaylsing how the patient was injured along with the type of injury recieved.
Hurling and camogie were the main source of injuries at almost 40 per cent, followed by soccer at 32 per cent and rugby at 15 per cent.
Over 70 per cent of those injured playing hurling or camogie suffered hand or finger injuries while the ankle was the main problem area for soccer players.
617 patients were treated by Advanced Nurse Paramedics while the research was taking place, with 60 of these people attending the emergency department at Portiuncula Hospital with a sports related injury.
