Epidemiology of Pediatric Musculoskeletal Trauma Patients Admitted to a Trauma Center in Northern India: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Abstract

Background Pediatricinjuries are the leading cause of death and disability worldwide and place a considerable burden on nations with limited resources. A careful investigation of the epidemiology ofpediatricmusculoskeletal trauma can provide insight into its causation and the demography of the affected children and help us devise preventive strategies to reduce the burden of pediatric musculoskeletal trauma. Methodology Musculoskeletal trauma patients up to the age of 18 years were included in this prospective cohort study. Information about age, sex, time since the injury to presentation to a trauma center, mode of injury, the site where the injury was suffered, and the exact injurywererecorded. Age was further recorded as 0 to 3 years, >3 to 6 years, >6 to 12 years, and >12 to 18 years. A subgroup analysis of the mode of injury was done using age group and sex. Results A total of 201 patients were enrolled in the study. The age (mean ± standard deviation [SD]) of the enrolled patients was12.48 ± 4.71 years. Of the 201 patients enrolled, 146 (72.63%) were males. The mean time since the injury to the receptionin the emergency department of theKing George'sMedical University trauma center (a tertiary care center) was 19.13 ± 33.86 hours. The common mechanisms of injury observed were road traffic accidents(RTAs, 55.22%), falls from height (29.35%), and falls at ground level. There was a significant difference in the mode of injury in the age groups (P= 0.0297) and among males and females (P= 0.0034). Injuries to the lower limbs were most common in all age groups. Conclusions Our study presents the baseline epidemiological data onpediatricmusculoskeletal injuries distributed by age groups, gender, mode of injury, site of injury, and region-wise distribution of injuries. The data may be used by policymakers in planning apediatrictrauma care system in India.