Unintentional injuries in children: 2 286 cases analysis

Abstract

Objective To investigate the clinical features of unintentional injuries in children, and to provide the theoretical basis for preventing and intervening the occurrence. Methods We collected the data of children aged from 0 to 14 years old and hospitalized in the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University from January 2013 to December 2015. Results There were 2 286 cases of children including 1 507 boys(65.92%) and 779 girls(34.08%). The high incidence age was 1 to 3 years with a total of 896 cases(39.19%). The first five causes of unintentional injuries were burns/scalds 840 cases(36.71%), fall/drop 464 cases(20.30%), blunt force injury 290 cases(12.68%), foreign bodies(in the esophagus, airway, etc) 253 cases(11.07%), and sharp object injury 153 cases(6.68%). The unintentional injuries of different age group were varied, for example, the common causes of 1 to 3 years old group were burns /scalds and foreign bodies(in the esophagus, airway, etc), and the main injuries in 6 to 14 years old group were fall/drop and blunt force.Furthermore, the proportion of unintentional injuries in rural children was 1 547 cases (67.67%), and in the urban children was 739 cases(32.33%). Unintentional injury with serious consequences included burns/scalds 55 cases(26.96%), sharp object injury 45 cases(22.06%), burns/scalds 26 cases (12.75%), blast injury of 23 cases(11.27%) and fall/drop 20 cases(9.80%). Disable/sequel happened in 204 cases(8.92%). Ten cases died(0.44%) including fall/drop in 4 cases, traffic accident in 3 cases(30%). Conclusion Young children aged 1 to 3 years are the most vulnerable to unintentional injuries.Burns/scalds and foreign bodies(in the esophagus, airway, etc) are the most common causes of injuries, and the boys are more common than girls.Moreover, the incidence rate of unintentional trauma in rural children was higher than that in the urban children.Unintentional injury complicated serious consequences are burns/scalds, sharp object injury, blast injury and fall/drop.Death cases in the majority are fall/drop and traffic accident.The key to reduce the occurrence of unintentional injuries is to strengthen propaganda of prevention knowledge about the children′s unintentional injuries. Key words: Children; Unintentional injury; Clinical analysis; Trauma,