Danger score versus ER volume
Danger score versus ER volume
According to CPSC NEISS 2005-2010, Hearing Aids ranks #622 of 838 by danger score (31/100) at ER-volume #572 of 838 (2,230/yr). They are not the same ranking.
- #622
- danger rank of 838
- #572
- ER-volume rank of 838
- 31/100
- danger score
- 2,230/yr
- estimated ER visits (avg)
Danger score combines injury volume, hospitalization, fatality, and five-year trend. ER volume is the average annual NEISS estimate alone. Rank 1 is highest on each list.
Where this category's danger score sits nationally
Danger score (31/100) across 838 scored CPSC product categories
31 Lower than most lower than 74% of 838 product categories
scored CPSC product categories, bucketed by value
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more product categories. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source CPSC NEISS, PlainSafety danger-score model · 2010
Composite verdict
Composite Safety Score: 24/100
One verdict blending 3 independently-sourced dimensions from two separate CPSC systems, each benchmarked against all 838 scored product categories by percentile rather than raw value, so no single huge-volume category can dominate the scale.
| Dimension | Value | National percentile | Weight applied | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Injury severity (hospitalization + fatality blend) | 2 | 15th | 41% | CPSC NEISS 20-year severity index |
| Annual ER injury volume | 2,230 | 50th | 35% | CPSC NEISS estimated annual ER-treated injuries |
| 5-year injury trend | N/A | N/A | redistributed | CPSC NEISS 5-year % change in ER-treated injuries |
| Consumer incident reports | 0 | 0th | 24% | CPSC SaferProducts.gov public incident report count |
5-year injury trend has no recorded value for this category; its weight was redistributed proportionally across the dimensions that do, rather than treated as zero risk.
Methodology: each dimension is ranked against the full population's p10/p25/p50/p75/p90 breakpoints and interpolated to a 0-100 percentile; the composite is the weighted average of available percentiles. See methodology for the full benchmark table.
Where 13,381 estimated ER injuries land on the body
Body-part shares from the same CPSC NEISS injury_types extract for product code 1620. Segments sum to 13,381 - a body-map mix, not a danger score or ER-volume rank.
Two danger lenses
Same-group peer scores and this product's dial
The bars compare PlainSafety danger scores inside the Personal Care & Safety Products group (same CPSC NEISS extract). The dial is this product's score alone on the Low/Moderate/High bands. Do not read a peer bar as an ER-visit count.
Personal Care & Safety Products danger scores
How this 31/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for hearing aids - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume 2,230 ER visits/yr Above median volume
- Severity (hospitalization rate) 2.0% Low admission rate
- Fatality rate 0.00% No recorded fatalities
- 5-year trendN/A
Band labels compare this category against the corpus of 838 scored CPSC product categories, see the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.
What the CPSC Data Shows
Across the 6-year NEISS window from 2005 to 2010, injury counts for hearing aids are stable over the most recent five-year window, with the busiest year on record being 2009 (3,538 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2005 (951 estimated visits). The single most common ER diagnosis is foreign body to the ear, accounting for approximately 9,546 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by other to the ear (1,849 cases). The 75+ age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 4,714 cases over the NEISS window, and males appear slightly more often than the opposite sex in that cohort. Severity outcomes from the NEISS disposition field show that 2.0% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer.
Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 0 consumer incident reports filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how hearing aids fail in real households. Every figure on this page comes from CPSC-published data: NEISS projects national estimates from a probability sample of about 100 U.S. hospital emergency departments, while SaferProducts.gov collects voluntary reports from consumers, manufacturers, and clinicians. The danger score, trend indicators, and demographic breakdowns update automatically when CPSC releases a new yearly NEISS file, which is why this page is dated 2010-12-31. For regulatory context, consult CPSC recall notices and the SaferProducts.gov public database linked below.
Annual Injury Estimates (2005–2010)
Source: CPSC NEISS national estimates Injuries represent ER-treated cases only
Who Gets Injured?
| Age Group | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-4 | 107 | 96 | |
| 5-14 | 166 | 213 | |
| 15-24 | 103 | 108 | |
| 25-34 | 160 | 213 | |
| 35-44 | 347 | 318 | |
| 45-54 | 703 | 482 | |
| 55-64 | 1,835 | 764 | |
| 65-74 | 2,041 | 1,008 | |
| 75+ | 2,806 | 1,908 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Ear | Foreign Body | |
| Ear | Other | |
| Ear | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Ear | Laceration | |
| Internal | Ingestion | |
| Ear | Hemorrhage | |
| Lower Trunk | Fracture | |
| All Parts Body | Other | |
| Elbow | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Shoulder | Strain, Sprain | |
| Face | Laceration | |
| Elbow | Fracture | |
| Lower Trunk | Dislocation | |
| All Parts Body | Poisoning | |
| Ear | Hematoma |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
70YOM HAS PART OF HEARING AID STUCK IN EARFOREIGN BODY EAR
72YOM HAS BLEEDING FROM EAR AFTER WEARING HEARING AIDABRASION TO RIGHT EAR
62YOF HAS THE TIP OF HER HEARING AID LODGED IN EAR FB EAR
45YOM TUBE FROM HEARING AID STUCK IN EAR SINCE FRIDAY*
56YOF WEARS A HEARING AID AND DEVELOPED AN INFECTION IN EAR FROM THE DEVICE OTITIS
73YOF WENT TO TAKE OUT HEARING AID FROM EAR AND A PIECE OF IT REMAINEDIN EAR FB EAR
89YO M HAS HEARING AIDS IN BOTH EARS AND DEVELOPED A BILATERAL OTITIS EXTERNA
49 YOM, PRESENTS WITH COMPLAINT OF FOREIGN BODY IN EAR, TIP OF HEARINGAID FELL OFF IN EAR DX: FOREIGN BODY IN EAR
45YOM HEARING AID PLUG IN EAR ..FB REMOVAL
78YFC TAKING OUT HEARING AID AND SMALL PIECE STAYED IN EARFOREIGN BODY
75YMC C/O PIECE OF HEARING AID STUCK IN EAR/FOREIGN BODY
82YOM,FOREIGN BODY/PIECE OF HEARING AID BROKE IN LEFT EAR REMOVALDONE WITH ALLIGATOR FORCEPS
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to hearing aids on the CPSC website.
Compare beyond Personal Care & Safety Products
Nationwide peers by danger score, ER volume & hospitalization
Three PlainSafety-derived comparison paths for Hearing Aids: cross-group products nearest on danger score (31/100), estimated annual ER visits (2,230/yr), and hospitalization share (2.0%). Same-group neighbours stay in Related Products above.
Similar danger score
Nearest cross-group products by PlainSafety danger score (100-point scale).
Similar ER visit volume
Nearest cross-group products by NEISS estimated annual ER visits.
Similar hospitalization rate
Nearest cross-group products by % of NEISS ER visits resulting in hospital admission.
- Toys, Not Elsewhere Classified Swimming, Water & Beach Equipment 2.0%admitted
- Welding Equipment Home Communication & Entertainment 2.0%admitted
- Power Workshop Grinders, Buffers, Polishers, N.s. Home Communication & Entertainment 2.0%admitted
- Rugby (activity, Apparel Or Equipment) Sports Protective Equipment & Gear 2.0%admitted
Related Products in Personal Care & Safety Products
Read with this product
About this data
CPSC National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) 2005–2024 and SaferProducts.gov consumer incident reports form the basis of this page. Injury estimates are based on a nationally representative probability sample of U.S. hospital emergency departments.
According to PlainSafety's CPSC NEISS corpus ranking, Hearing Aids ranks #622 of 838 scored CPSC product categories by PlainSafety danger score and #572 of 838 by 20-year estimated ER injury volume.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does hearing aids rank on danger score versus ER volume?
Among 838 scored CPSC product categories, hearing aids ranks #622 by PlainSafety danger score (31/100) and #572 by 20-year estimated ER injury volume (2,230/yr). The two rankings come from the same NEISS extract and are not the same order.
What are the most common injuries from hearing aids?
The most common injury is foreign body to the ear, accounting for approximately 9,546 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from hearing aids increasing or decreasing?
No trend data.
Who is most at risk for hearing aids injuries?
The 75+ age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 4,714 cases recorded over 20 years. Males are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by hearing aids?
Of all ER visits involving hearing aids, approximately 2.0% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (98.0%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with hearing aids?
You can file a consumer incident report at SaferProducts.gov, the official CPSC reporting portal. Reports help the CPSC identify emerging hazards and trigger investigations or recalls. You can also call the CPSC hotline at 1-800-638-2772.
PlainSafety is rendered directly from U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recall and incident records, no number is typed in by an editor. Product recall timelines and hazard labels are drawn from CPSC recall records for this product. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.