Characteristics of indoor injuries in hotels compared to home among young children.

Abstract

Although attention has recently been afforded to home injury prevention for young children, we often encounter young children who have experienced indoor injuries at places other than the home. We aimed to identify characteristics of unintentional indoor injuries that occurred when young children were not at home. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of young children (aged <6years) with indoor injuries from January to June 2017. We classified patients injured in hotel rooms as the "Hotel group" and compared them to patients injured at home ("Home group"). Among 102 patients who met the study criteria, 33 patients (32.4%) were classified as the Hotel group. Falls were the most frequent cause of injury in both groups (Home, 56.5% versus Hotel, 87.9%). Falls from beds were more likely to happen in hotel rooms (1.4% versus 48.5%). In regard to fall-associated injuries, head and / or facial injury was most frequent in both groups (Home, 92.3% versus Hotel, 89.7%). A suture and follow-up were less likely in the Home group than in the Hotel group (18.8% versus 42.4%, 39.1% versus 69.7%, respectively). In hotel rooms, head and / or facial injuries due to falling from a bed were the most common types of injury, and they often needed more invasive procedures than home injuries. Injuries that tended to occur in hotel rooms are more predictable than home injuries. Modification of the surrounding environment has the potential to prevent unintentional injuries not only in the home environment but also in hotel rooms.