Abstract
We investigated the incidences and characteristics of pediatric traumatic injuries requiring emergency department visits, through a complementary approach using both nationwide-sample and single-institutional data. Data for children (aged <15 years) identified with traumatic injuries during a 10-year period from the Korean National Health Insurance Sharing Service (n = 35,064 among 10,114,909 randomly sampled cases from the claim records of the National Health Insurance) and the authors' institute (n = 39,228) were retrospectively reviewed. The incidences and characteristics of the injuries were investigated using both datasets; additionally, detailed information regarding the injury environments was investigated using the single-institutional data. The findings were similar across both datasets. The incidence of injuries increased during the study period; the head was most commonly injured, whereas the trunk or proximal extremities were rarely injured; low-energy head injuries accounted for >50% of the cases in children aged <5 years, although the incidences of lower-extremity injuries and fractures increased in older children. Single-institutional data demonstrated that the proportion of indoor playground and trampoline-related injuries increased rapidly during the study period, and outdoor injuries and seasonal variation (with peak incidences in May and June) were more prominent in older children. Based on similarities between both datasets, the detailed results regarding pediatric traumatic injuries obtained from the single-institutional data could be generalized nationally with adequate external validity. To prevent traumatic injuries, it may be more effective to wear protective equipment covering the head and distal extremities rather than the trunk or proximal extremities; simple clothing, such as caps, could prevent many injuries in preschoolers. Among older children, safety guidelines for outdoor sports/leisure activities are needed. The increase in pediatric traumatic injuries may be partially explained by the increased availability of indoor playgrounds and installation of trampolines. Stricter adherence to the preventive guidelines is needed.
Highlights
Traumatic injuries are a major cause of impairment or death in children [1]
Nationwide-sample data was obtained from the Korean National Health Insurance Sharing Service (NHISS)
There were no significant differences in sex, age distribution, injured body part (Fig 1A), injury type (Fig 1B), and visit pattern between the datasets
Summary
Traumatic injuries are a major cause of impairment or death in children [1]. These injuries occur in various places during various activities [2] and change in their patterns over time [3,4,5,6]. Prevention of injuries in each country based on investigations performed in each country is likely to be more effective, few countries with a specific nationwide surveillance system have reported comprehensive studies [12]. The results of a comprehensive nationwide study performed in some specific countries are likely to be applicable to many other countries with similar socioeconomic and environmental conditions, as general lifestyles and medical environments become increasingly similar globally [1]. There is still a lack of diversity of a socioeconomic and environmental statuses of the countries where the studies are performed
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
