1201 Safe handling of oral chemotherapeutic agents in clinical practice at Saudi hospitals

Abstract

Background: Falls can be an everyday occurrence in all pediatric age groups and both genders. Falling is the common leading cause of nonfatal and unintentional injuries in many developed countries. We identified the common types of injuries associated with falling down in Saudi and non-Saudi children up to 17-years-old and determined the relationship between the types of injuries and patient outcomes. This is the first nationally representative study in Saudi Arabia. Methods: We conducted a cohort analytic study of all children from 0 to 17 years of age who presented to the Emergency Department (ED) at King Abdul Aziz Medical city (KAMC) in Riyadh during 2001 to 2014 with fall-related injuries. Patient outcomes in relation to the falls were assessed. Results: A total of 1639 children were treated in the KAMC ED for fall-related injuries. Boys experienced significantly higher fall rates than did girls. Upper limb fracture was the most common type of injury overall (40.6%). In males, the skull and face were the most commonly affected (80.6%); in females, the neck and vertebra were the most frequently injured (40.0%). Middle childhood was the most common age group that experienced fallrelated injuries. Of these patients, 95.2% were hospitalized for less than 12 days, whereas 4.7% of the patients were hospitalized for 12 days or more. The majority of the patients presented to the ED were released home or transferred (99.5%). Closed head injury was the commonest injury associated with death (2.1%). Conclusion: Childhood fall-related injuries could contribute significant morbidity and mortality in Saudi Arabia if we do not take appropriate action.