Abstract
Background and Objective:Trauma is a major cause of mortality in children aged 1 to 14 years old and its patterns differs from country to country. In this study we investigated the epidemiology and distribution of non-intentional trauma in the pediatric population.Materials and Methods:The archives of 304 children below 10 years old who presented to Taleghani trauma care center in Kermanshah, Iran from March to September 2008, were reviewed. Patients’ demographic and injury related information were registered. The participants were categorized into three age groups of 0-2, 3-6 and 7-10 years old and the data was compared among age groups and between both sexes.Findings:The most common cause for trauma was falling from heights (65.5%) and road traffic accidents (16.4%). The most common anatomical sites of injury were the upper limbs followed by the head and neck (36.8% and 31.2%, respectively). Injuries mostly occurred in homes (67.4%). The injuries were mostly related to the orthopedics and the neurosurgery division (84.1% and 13.1%, respectively). Accident rates peaked during the hours of 18-24 (41.3%). Male and female patients did display any difference regarding the variables. Children between the ages of 0-2 years old had the highest rate of injury to the head and neck area (40.3%) (p=0.024). Falls and road traffic accidents displayed increasing rates from the ages of 0-2 to 3-6 and decreasing rates to the ages of 7-10 years old (p=0.013). From the ages of 0-2 to 3-6 years old, street accidents increased and household traumas decreased. After that age household trauma rates increased and street accidents decreased (p=0.005). Children between the ages of 7-10 years old had the highest rate of orthopedic injury (p=0.029).Conclusion:Special planning and health policies are needed to prevent road accidents especially in children between the ages of 3-6 years old. Since homes were the place where children between the ages of 0-2 were mostly injured, parents should be educated about the correct safety measures that they need to take regarding their children’s environments. The orthopedics department needs to receive the most training and resources for the management of pediatric trauma.
Highlights
Trauma is defined as any type of wound or penetrating/non-penetrating injury caused intentionally or unintentionally by external factors and this includes a variety of events like traffic-related trauma, poisoning, falling, drowning, and etc. (Partrick, Bensard, Moore, Partington, & Karrer, 1998; Schneiderman, Leslie, Hurlburt, Zhang, & Horwitz, 2012)
In this study we investigated the epidemiology of non-intentional trauma regarding etiology spectrum, location of trauma, anatomical site of injury and distribution of trauma based on different factors in children bellow ten years old
The most common cause for trauma for both males and females was falling from heights (65.5% of overall cases, 71.2% in girls and 61.5% in boys) and traffic-related accidents (16.4%)
Summary
Trauma is defined as any type of wound or penetrating/non-penetrating injury caused intentionally or unintentionally by external factors and this includes a variety of events like traffic-related trauma, poisoning, falling, drowning, and etc. (Partrick, Bensard, Moore, Partington, & Karrer, 1998; Schneiderman, Leslie, Hurlburt, Zhang, & Horwitz, 2012). Trauma is the most prevalent cause of death in the first three decades of life and studies conducted show that it is among the major causes of mortality, especially in children between the ages of 1 to 14 years old (Pant, Towner, Pilkington, Ellis, & Manandhar, 2014). Children bellow the ages of ten years old are especially at higher risks of accidents due to multiple factors like their inability to react and recognize danger in time and their impaired risk assessment (Cross & Hall, 2005). Trauma is a major cause of mortality in children aged 1 to 14 years old and its patterns differs from country to country. In this study we investigated the epidemiology and distribution of non-intentional trauma in the pediatric population
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