Household Injuries Research Articles

Maternal Knowledge and Awareness of Preventive Measures for Domestic Accidents Among Children in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Unintentional injuries are the leading cause of childhood injuries and result in thousands of deaths annually. However, children are at higher risk due to their increased curiosity and the time they spend at home. This study aimed to assess maternal knowledge regarding preventive measures for household injuries, including their frequency and severity. Using an electronic, self-administered questionnaire, this cross-sectional study assessed the knowledge and awareness of 433 mothers of children aged 1 to 12 years in our population between March 22 and July 31, 2023. Participants' awareness levels were the main outcome. Of the participants, 54% reported that their children had experienced domestic injuries. The most frequently reported injuries were falls, burns, and wounds caused by sharp objects. Moreover, more than 50% of the children needed to visit the emergency department, of whom 10% required hospitalization. Regarding the awareness level score, 55% of mothers had moderate knowledge of home-related injuries. Furthermore, attending first-aid courses and other health education programs predicted higher awareness scores among the mothers. More than half of the children in our study population had injuries that had occurred recently or in previous years. There was a significant discrepancy between the mothers' reported knowledge and their safety practices.

Influence of gel matrix on the wound healing activity of adhesive dressings filled with silver nanoparticles and humic acid applied on a rat burn model

BACKGROUND: Thermal injuries to the skin (burns) are common household and man-made traumatic injuries in humans. In wartime, thermal injuries are additional damaging factors in combined skin lesions caused by the damaging elements of modern weapons. AIM: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of gels based on silver nanoparticles in combination with humic acid on the healing of thermal skin injuries (burn wounds) in rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In the experiments on 57 white nonlinear male rats weighing 218–260 g, the wound healing effects of gels with 10% humic acid modified with nanosilver on various bases, prepared in a pharmacopoeial manner, on a grade IIIB thermal skin burn model were examined. The gel bases used in three experimental groups were as follows: sodium carboxymethylcellulose (group Ia, n = 12), polyacrylamide (group Ib, n = 12), and polyethylene glycol (group Ic, n = 12). The comparison group (group II, n = 12) received Levomekol ointment, whereas the control group (group III, n = 8) did not receive treatment. A grade III thermal burn was made on the proximal part of the back under general anesthesia using a thermal applicator with a circular-shaped flat working part with a diameter of 20 mm. Seventy-two hours after the burn, the wound was freed from scab by complete excision along the border of the intact skin, a splinting ring was applied, and the study drugs were administered. The dynamics of the changes in the burn wound were assessed on days 10, 14, 17, 21, 24, and 28 using the Universal Desktop Ruler program. RESULTS: The average times (median) to reach 75% epithelialization of wounds in groups Ia, Ic, and II were 29.4 ± 0.2, 34 (33–34), and 33.3 ± 0.45 days, respectively, whereas in groups Ib and III, the median time to 75% epithelization was not achieved. The 28-day healing index (%/day) values were 8.6, 4.8, 6.5, 6.1, and 4.4 in groups Ia, Ib, Ic, II, and III, respectively. The dynamics of epithelialization of thermal burns were most pronounced in group Ia, where the sodium carboxymethylcellulose acted as a gel base for humic substances modified with nanosilver. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicated that the gel added with nanosilver-modified humic substances based on sodium carboxymethylcellulose has a wound healing effect on thermal skin injuries, superior to the effect of the reference drug Levomekol in terms of the healing time of burn wounds.

Treatment outcomes analysis in supracondylar humerus fractures in children and adolescents

Background. Distal epimetaphyseal humerus fractures in children and adolescents are relatively common injuries, with supracondylar and transcondylar fractures being the most prevalent. Among injuries to the distal humerus, these fractures occur most frequently and are one of the most common household injuries, composing 47.5–80 % of all intra-articular fractures of the elbow in children aged 3–12 years. Poor treatment outcomes range from 6.67 to 18.2 %. The aim is to study a current stage and therapeutic challenges in supracondylar humerus fractures in children and adolescents, and to find out optimal management based on analysis of the long-term treatment outcomes in this category of patients. Materials and methods. A retrospective study of treatment outcomes was conducted in 123 patients with supracondylar humerus fractures in 2019–2021. Average age of patients was 7.38 ± 0.34 years. Targeted clinical and instrumental examination have been performed in all patients. Fracture type was assessed based on AO Pediatric Comprehensive Classification of Long-Bone Fractures (PCCF). Mayo Elbow Performance Score was used to evaluate treatment outcomes. Results. Determining the type of supracondylar humerus fractures using AO PCCF compared to Gartland classification is justified as it allows for a more detailed assessment of the injury, thereby expanding the possibilities for developing individualized treatment strategies. Poor treatment outcomes with reduction + external immobilization constitute 3.7 % of cases, closed reduction + percutaneous fixation + external immobilization — 6.1 %, open reduction + pin fixation + external immobilization — 8.8 %. Conclusions. Supracondylar fractures are one of the most frequent injuries to the distal humerus and mostly occur in boys aged 4 to 9 years (58.3 % of cases). Fractures type II.1 (boys/girls ratio is 33.3/37.3 %) and III.1 (23.7/27.6 %) are dominating. Deepening the knowledge through anatomical and biomechanical studies of the structures with crossed and coronal pins will improve the existing fixation devices and will become the basis for the development of new ones, which will significantly improve treatment outcomes in supracondylar humerus fractures in children and adolescents.

Parental adherence to prevent unintentional home injuries among children in a community of Bhaktapur, Nepal

Background: Unintentional injuries are the serious worldwide public health problem directing to mortality, morbidity, disability, economic stress to health care system and household level. Curious nature of children to learn new skills around the home premises can be harmful sometime. Household injuries are often fatal but are prevantable. The study was conducted to analyse the level of parental adherence to prevent unintentional injuriesamong under five children and its association between independent variables.Methods: An analytical cross sectional research design was conducted in Madhyapur Thimi Municipality, Bode8, Bhaktapur, Nepal among 220 parents. Data was collected in August 2021 by using non-probability purposive sampling technique. A semi-structured questionnaire was self developed, it was pretested and was used for data collection.Results: The study suggests that majority (65.9%) of the respondents had more level of adherence and 34.1% had less level of adherence regarding unintentional injury prevention. Level of parental adherence was significantly associated with religion (p=0.048), number of siblings (p=0.045), number of floors (p=0.047) and number of rooms in the house (p=0.046).Conclusion: The study concludes that parents were able to maintain more level of adherence regarding injury prevention among children. Parental experience on injuries helps to prevent its occurrence in the future.

Superficial Surgical Site Infection in Hand Surgery: A Cross- sectional Study in a Hand Surgery Unit

Introduction: Superficial surgical site infection (SSI) in hand surgery is generally considered to be less common. Infection of surgical site can lead to poor outcomes. Burden of surgical site infection in hand surgery has not been studied in our part of the world. We sought to determine the prevalence rate superficial surgical site infection in patients undergoing hand surgery. Methods: We used standard definition of CDC National Healthcare Surveillance Network (NHSN) criteria to evaluate 112 consecutive adults undergoing various hand surgery procedures outcome at the end of the second week for superficial SSI. The study was conducted over a period of six month (November 2022 to May 2023). Results: The prevalence of superficial surgical site infection was 6.25% . Among those affected 0.02% cases were diagnosed based on signs and symptoms criteria. In 0.03% patient the wound discharge yielded Staphylococcus aureus. The most common cause requiring hand surgery were workplace injuries, household injuries, and injuries due to road traffic accounting for 45.54%, 26.79%, and 18.75% , respectively. Crushing type of injury which was the most common of all mechanisms of injury. Conclusion: The prevalence rates of hand procedures are low but not negligible. This under-evaluated condition must be more extensively evaluated in a multicenter study involving larger population.

Education on Preventing Early Childhood Injuries Using a Video Game: The VirtualSafeHome Platform.

Poisonings and household injuries are frequent events among toddlers. We developed VirtualSafeHome (VSH)-a novel self-contained, Internet-based home-safety learning tool-to improve awareness of household hazards. Study aims were to investigate VSH usage characteristics. A prototype, screen-based VSH kitchen was built in Unity and delivered through the web using 3DVista and Wix. Players spot and click 21 embedded hazards. A unique feature is the ability to capture the "child's perspective" in identifying hazards. We recruited a convenience sample of adults in 2021-2022. Outcomes included number of hazards discovered, session duration, and pretest/posttest knowledge scores. Twenty-four adults identified a median 15.5 hazards; median playing time was 1022 seconds. Players reported satisfaction with ease of navigation and game features. Mean pretest/posttest knowledge scores rose from 2.0 to 2.79 (P < .035). A web-enabled video game can provide easily accessed, enjoyable training on home safety.

Public perception of household risks for pediatric burn injuries and assessment of management readiness

IntroductionChildren are uniquely vulnerable to injury because of near-complete dependence on caregivers. Unintentional injury is leading cause of death in children under the age of 14. Burns are one of the leading causes of accidental and preventable household injuries, with scald burns most common in younger children and flame burns in older ones. Education is a key tool to address burn prevention, but unfortunately these injuries persist. Critically, there is a paucity of literature investigating adult comprehension with respect to potential risks of household burns. To date, no study has been performed to assess management readiness for these types of injuries without seeking medical care. MethodsQualtrics™ surveys were distributed to laypersons via Amazon Mechanical Turk. Demographics were self-reported. The survey was divided into two parts, management knowledge, and risk identification. The management part involved a photograph of a first-degree pediatric burn injury and required identification of the degree of injury and three potential initial managements. The risk-identification section required correctly identifying the most common mechanisms of burn injury for different age groups followed by general identification of 20 household burn risks. Survey responses were analyzed using two-tailed Student's t-tests and chi-square analyses, univariate and multivariate analysis, and linear regression. ResultsOf the 467 respondents, the mean age was 36.57 years, and was 59.7% (279) male. Only 3.2% of respondents were able to correctly identify all 20 potential risks listed in our survey. Additionally, only 4.5% of respondents correctly identified all three appropriate initial management options (cool water, sterile gauze, and over-the-counter analgesics) without misidentifying incorrect options. However, 56.1% of respondents were able to select at least one correct management option. For image-based injury classification, the most common response was incorrectly second-degree with 216 responses (42.2%) and the second-most common response was correctly first-degree with 146 responses (31.3%). Most respondents claimed they would not seek medical attention for the injury presented in the photograph (77.7%). When comparing the responses of individuals with children to those without, there were no statistically significant differences in ability to assess household risks for pediatric burns. For the entire population of respondents, the mean score for correctly identifying risks was 38%. ConclusionThis study revealed a significant gap in public awareness of household risks for pediatric burns. Furthermore, while most individuals would not seek medical care for a first-degree pediatric burn injury, they were readily available to identify proper initial management methods. This gap in knowledge and understanding of household pediatric burn injuries should be addressed with increased burn injury prevention education initiatives and more parental counseling opportunities.

Comparison of Burden of Injury at a Tertiary Care Centre of National Importance: Pre-COVID-19 and COVID-19 Era.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, precautionary guidelines to shut down non-essential services had an impact on the pattern of hospital trauma admissions. We compared the trauma cases handled in our hospital from 24th March 2020 to 30th November 2020 during the restricted movement period with statistics from 2019. The objectives of this study is to assess the prevalence of trauma during lockdown and restricted movement phase of COVID-19 pandemic and to analyze the epidemiology factor associated with trauma in pre COVID-19 and COVID-19 era in a tertiary care hospital of National importance in central India. This retrospective record-based study was done to analyze the profile of injured trauma patients presented to trauma and emergency center of tertiary care center of national importance from March 24 to June 30, 2020 (lockdown phase) and 1st July to 30th November (post-lockdown phase) of 2020. Results were compared with data from the year 2019. Total 621 trauma patients were managed during various restricted phases of the COVID-19 pandemic (March 2020 - November 2020). Out of which 128 admissions were in the strict lockdown phase (March-May 2020) while 493 presented after lockdown during the restricted movement phase. Both during and after a strict lockdown, road traffic accidents are significantly reduced. In contrast, assaults and household injuries were significantly higher. During the post-lockdown phase of 2020, self-falls increased significantly in both phases compared to the year 2019. There was a significant decrease in trauma admissions in lockdown phase due to decreased vehicular accident but increase in household injury due increased activities inside home. To determine the readiness to deal with future situations similar to these, we look at the behavioral changes in our patient population during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Behavioural and environmental risk factors for household injuries: semistructured interviews with health professionals and mothers in Iran

BackgroundInjuries are increasing global public health problems, causing disability and death among children. This has considerable financial, emotional and social effects on families and society. This study aimed to investigate...

Preliminary Study of Categorization and Classification of Household Hazards in Malaysia Using Simplified Hazard Identification Technique

Within the home, there is a wide range of hazards [1]. Even though the home is usually perceived as a safe place, it is also a common location for home hazard incidents to occur considering the number of home occupants and property type [2]. It is estimated that about 12 out of 100 people were injured in their homes with suffocation and fall strikes as the leading causes of death [3].&#x0D; &#x0D; Categorization and classification allow the organization of things, objects, and ideas. Through categorization of hazards, it can assist households and communities to simplify their understanding of household safety. Generally, hazards can be categorised as physical hazards, biological hazards, chemical hazards, psychosocial hazards and ergonomic hazards [4], however, this is too broad to be considered a household hazard. In Malaysia, there is scarce information on the household hazard categories as most studies focused more on the causes of home injuries [5–7]. Hence, this study aimed to categorise household hazards and classify the most common household hazards that can be found in Malaysia.&#x0D; &#x0D; This preliminary study involved a total of 135 USM School of Health Sciences students and staff. The questionnaire was developed based on the HIRARC guideline by the Department of Safety and Health Malaysia. All respondents were required to identify and describe the most common hazards in their homes and upload the relevant pictures. Based on the picture and descriptions, we classified the hazards based on the key indicators of the specific hazards and the common name used.&#x0D; Figure 1 illustrated the 10 categories of household hazards. Chemical hazards comprised detergent, paint and thinner while electrical hazards involved exposed wiring, overloading of plug point and damaged socket. Sharp hazards included exposed knives or sharp utensils and sharp corners in household structures or furniture; ergonomic hazards were uncomfortable furniture or unsuitable design of furniture for the task conducted; slip, trip and falls such as wet floor, tripping over furniture and fall from stairs or height when using ladder; biological hazards such as mold, fungal in damp area or on cooking utensils and indoor air quality; housekeeping hazards such as cluttered cables, improper placement or stacking of objects; fire hazards were mainly open candles, overheating of electrical appliances, unattended cooking and placement of flammable material near fire sources; noise hazard involved the usage of noisy machinery including coconut grating machine, vacuum cleaner and grass cutter; choking hazards including toys or any small objects that can be picked up by children with the possibilities to cause chocking.&#x0D; The most common household hazards were fire hazards (29%), electrical hazards (22%), slip trips and falls (18%) followed by others as illustrated in Figure 2. The incidence of fire and electrical hazards were in line with previously reported household injuries in Malaysia [8].&#x0D; &#x0D; In conclusion, 10 categories of household hazard were identified in which fire and electrical hazards were the most common hazards among Malaysian household. Future studies are warranted to explore the details of the identified categories and should include the assessment of household hazards via probability and severity rating in justifying the identified hazards.

What Remains Unsolved in Sub-African Environmental Exposure Information Disclosure: A Review

Background: Africa comprises the bulk of struggling economies. However, Sub-Saharan Africa is experiencing rapid industrialization and urbanization. Excessive resource use, pollution, and the absence of relevant environmental disclosure are factors that contribute to these human-made damages. Environmental pollution as a threat to sustainable development results from these damages. Although it has been established that Sub-Saharan Africa would benefit from resource-management development, sustainable environmental strategies, and a reduction in urbanization and persistent poverty, the information on these issues has not been made public. Objective: To provide a full account of the level of environmental-exposure disclosure in Sub-Saharan African countries, including the current level of progress, gaps, and prospects, we reviewed the literature on environmental exposure information research in African populations. Methodology: We searched PubMed and Google Scholar for peer-reviewed research articles, reviews, or books examining environmental exposure and information disclosure in human populations in Africa. Results: In total, 89 full-text articles were eligible for the inclusion criteria. A quality assessment of the retrieved articles using the PRISMA guidelines resulted in the exclusion of 40 articles; therefore, 49 studies were included in the final analysis. In Sub-Saharan Africa, the environmental exposure information on household injuries, the use of chemicals such as pesticides in farming, industry-linked vectors and diseases, laboratory chemical exposure, industrial exposure, and epigenetic factors are not well-disclosed to the population. Conclusion: Environmental information disclosure standards should be incorporated into central-government policy recommendations. Standards should identify polluting industries, and companies should refrain from the voluntary disclosure of environmental information to manage their reputation. Heavy-pollution industries should be made sufficiently transparent to lessen the company–media collusion on information disclosure.

A characterization of home maintenance equipment-related hand and lower arm injuries

BackgroundThousands of Americans sustain injuries from various household appliances each year, though injury patterns have not been well characterized. We thus sought to determine the incidence, characteristics, and trends of household appliance-related hand injuries over the past decade. MethodsThe National Electronic Injury Surveillance System database (NEISS) was queried from 2010 through 2019. Our analysis grouped patients into 10-year age groups. We defined types of appliances and injuries Chi-square tests were used to compare the most common injury mechanisms by age group. ResultsBetween 2010 and 2019, 30,336 total cases of home workshop equipment-related upper extremity injuries were recorded; 2,574 (8.48%) of these affected females, compared to 27,762 (91.52%) of the cases affecting males. Across all age groups, males were between 6 and 13 more times likely to be injured than females (p < 0.001). Between 2010 and 2019, we recorded a decline in total injuries from 168,795 to 147,584, with a Pearson correlation coefficient of -0.68 (p = 0.031). The appliances most likely to injure those in their 10s through 40s were mechanical tools such as screwdrivers. Meanwhile, those in their 50s through 70s were most likely to be injured by saws. Both amputations and avulsions were found to significantly increase with age (p = 0.038, p = 0.027, respectively). Most injuries result from manual tools and saws. DiscussionMales are significantly more likely to incur injuries than females from maintenance equipment, and risk of avulsions and amputations increase significantly with age. This aligns with previous research which also suggested that older saws were most likely to injure older individuals; namely, following new regulations on saws, older adults were more likely to be affected. This is especially worrisome in light of recent research showing that older adults with amputations are less likely to be offered replantations. Overall, these results can continue to guide and optimize community interventions on an epidemiological basis.

Gender Dynamics and Human-Wildlife Conflicts in Maasai Mara Game Reserve, Kenya

A big factor as to why Human-Wildlife Conflict is a major issue in the African context than in the western world is the level of income stability. This is heightened by the fact that most communities that live near wildlife settlements in Africa are poor rural communities. The people in the Mara are a good example of such a community. One of the reasons why this plague has been so persistent is because the rules and regulations are too broad and do not factor in the differences within the communities that live within reach of wildlife populations. This research has singled out the main difference within these communities as being gender and focuses on gendered differences. The objective of this research is to examine the gender dynamics that affect Human-Wildlife Conflicts. To fulfil the objective, the research set out to test the hypothesis of whether gender dynamics influence wildlife conservation measures. The methodology for this research was guided by a descriptive research design which entailed the use of observation, questionnaires, and interviews to gather data. The samples were automatically classified into the two established genders, male and female. The findings concluded that the following attributes affect how the genders interact with Human-Wildlife Conflicts household roles, agricultural occupation, income loss, injuries, land ownership, and marital status. This was because the null hypothesis was disproved. After all, the p-value: =0.006435 was less than the agreed significance level of 0.05. These results indicate that there is a correlation between gender dynamics and Human-Wildlife Conflict. Therefore, gender mainstreaming needs to be considered in the wildlife conservation discourse.

The knowledge level and practices on childhood injuries and interventions among parents at home

Background: There are many common household emergencies that may involve children. This includes poisoning, falls, burns, choking, animal bites, very high fever and also febrile fits. Knowledge about preventive measures to prevent these accidents as home as well as knowing what to do when it occurs may help in preventing further complications and may aid in recovery. Therefore, this study aims to find out the general public knowledge regarding the preventive steps and early emergency steps that can be taken upon emergencies occurring among children. Methods: A cross sectional study incorporating a questionnaire/instrument that included brief sociodemographic data and a total of 10 questions on common household injuries and emergencies, and either preventive steps or early interventions was used. The topics covered were 6 core topics on poisoning, falls, burns, choking, animal bites, high fever and also febrile fits. Results: The total number of respondents was 119 parents. This study overall showed a good knowledge, attitude and practice among the parents towards common emergency inflicting children. Older aged and female parent were found to have more knowledge and positive attitude towards common emergencies among children, respectively. Conclusion: Group identified as having a lower knowledge, attitude and/or practice should be targeted in future community education programmes to increase the knowledge as well positive attitudes and practices towards identifying and managing common emergencies among children. Bangladesh Journal of Medical Science Vol. 21(1) 2022 Page : 140-144

ANALYSIS OF PHARMACEUTICAL WORKERS RECOMMENDATIONS FOR WOUND-HEALING DRUGS IN UKRAINE

ANALYSIS OF PHARMACEUTICAL WORKERS RECOMMENDATIONS FOR WOUND-HEALING DRUGS IN UKRAINE

Incidence of childhood injuries and modifiable household risk factors in rural Ghana: a multistage, cluster-randomised, population-based, household survey

ObjectiveWe aimed to describe the incidence of childhood household injuries and prevalence of modifiable household risk factors in rural Ghana to inform prevention initiatives.Setting357 randomly selected households in rural Ghana.ParticipantsCaregivers...

Организация и выполнение экстренной офтальмохирургической помощи в условиях специализированной офтальмологической клиники в период пандемии COVID-19

Purpose. Evaluation of the frequency, structure and severity of the eye injuries, the effectiveness of the implementation of primary surgical treatment (PST) and the outcomes of their surgical treatment. Material and methods. In just a period from the end of March to December 2020, in the Khabarovsk branch the S. Fyodorov Eye Microsurgery Federal State Institution received 51 patients with various as penetrating (48 eyes) and imperriburing injuries of the eyeball (3 eyes). Their age varied widespread from 5 to 56 years (on average 35.5 years). Men were dominated among them – 44 people, women – 7 people. Adults were 49 people, children – 2 people. Results. Under the conditions of obtaining penetrating injuries, household injuries were isolated – 33 eyes (65%), production – 15 eyes (29%). The contusion injury of the eye was criminal, which was 6% (3 eyes). According to the localization of penetrating injuries or the impact of mechanical damage, they were presented: corneal wounds – 12 eyes, rootless – 17 eyes, scleral – 18 eyes. In 13 eyes, there was an intraocular foreign bodies (IFB). Conclusion. Thus, for the period from April to December 2020, in our branch, PST eyes were performed about 47 heavy penetrating injuries, including the introduction of IFB in 13 eyes, 4 eyes with extensive damage to conjunctiva. Among the victims were 49 adults and 2 children. Key words: penetrating eye wound, intraocular foreign body, microgery surgery, traumatic retinal detachment.

Comparison of childhood household injuries and risk factors between urban and rural communities in Ghana: A cluster-randomized, population-based, survey to inform injury prevention research and programming

BackgroundChildhood household injuries incur a major proportion of the global disease burden, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). However, household injury hazards are differentially distributed across developed environments. Therefore, we aimed to compare incidence of childhood household injuries and prevalence of risk factors between communities in urban and rural Ghana to inform prevention initiatives. MethodsData from urban and a rural cluster-randomized, population-based surveys of caregivers of children <5 years in Ghana were combined. In both studies, caregivers were interviewed about childhood injuries that occurred within the past 6 months and 200 meters of the home that resulted in missed school/work, hospitalization, and/or death. Sampling weights were applied, injuries and incidence rate ratios (IRRs) were described, and multi-level regression was used to identify and compare risk factors. ResultsWe sampled 200 urban and 357 rural households that represented 20,575 children in Asawase and 14,032 children in Amakom, Ghana, respectively. There were 143 and 351 injuries in our urban and rural samples, which equated to 594 and 542 injuries per 1,000 child-years, respectively (IRR 1.09, 95%CI 1.05-1.14). Toddler-aged children had the highest odds of injury both urban and rural communities (OR 3.77 vs 3.17, 95%CI 1.34-10.55 vs 1.86-5.42 compared to infants, respectively). Urban children were more commonly injured by falling (IRR 1.50, 95%CI 1.41-1.60), but less commonly injured by flame/hot substances (IRR 0.51, 95%CI 0.44-0.59), violence (IRR 0.41, 95%CI 0.36-0.48), or motor vehicle (IRR 0.50, 95%CI 0.39-0.63). Rural households that cooked outside of the home (OR 0.36, 95%CI 0.22-0.60) and that also supervised older children (OR 0.33, 95%CI 0.17-0.62) had lower odds of childhood injuries than those that did not. ConclusionsChildhood injuries were similarly common in both urban and rural Ghana, but with different patterns of mechanisms and risk factors that must be taken into account when planning prevention strategies. However, the data suggest that several interventions could be effective, including: community-based, multi-strategy initiatives (e.g., home hazard reduction, provision of safety equipment, establishing community creches); traffic calming interventions in rural community clusters; and passive injury surveillance systems that collect data to inform violence and broader prevention strategies.

Accidents Waiting to Happen: A Review of Unintentional Household Injuries in Children.

1. Erin P. O’Donnell, MD* 2. Therese L. Canares, MD* 1. *Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD * Abbreviations: AAP : : American Academy of Pediatrics ASK : : Asking Saves Kids ASSB : : accidental suffocation and strangulation in bed BRUE : : brief resolved unexplained event CDC : : Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CPR : : cardiopulmonary resuscitation ED : : emergency department LDP : : laundry detergent pod SIDS : : sudden infant death syndrome After completing this article, readers should be able to: 1. Describe how unintentional injuries affect the morbidity and mortality of children and adolescents. 2. Recognize risk factors and behaviors associated with unintentional household injuries. 3. Identify effective prevention strategies for the most common unintentional household injuries. 4. Apply learned information when discussing preventive measures to caregivers in an office-based setting. Unintentional injuries remain a crucial public health concern as they persist as the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in US children. Greatly surpassing congenital anomalies, malignancy, and suicide as leading causes of death, unintentional injuries claim the lives of 12,000 children and adolescents each year. Even more, more than 9.2 million children are treated in emergency departments (EDs) for nonfatal injuries. (1) In recent years, health-care has shifted its focus to preventive care. With a significant economic burden attributable to medical care for fatal and nonfatal injuries, health-care providers have an increased responsibility to address injury prevention. Factors within one’s physical and social environment act as key drivers affecting health, and this applies particularly to unintentional home injuries. Whereas injury prevention experts use advocacy as their primary tool, providers have a unique opportunity to provide specific education about prevention. For children and adolescents, pediatricians play an essential role in informing caregivers about age-appropriate risks and potential hazards for children in the home. By providing this information along with guidance on safety practices, providers can contribute to the reduction of unintentional …

Impact of the COVID-19 shutdown on orthopedic trauma numbers and patterns in an academic Level I Trauma Center in Berlin, Germany.

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic led to the implementation of drastic shutdown measures worldwide. While quarantine, self-isolation and shutdown laws helped to effectively contain and control the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the impact of COVID-19 shutdowns on trauma care in emergency departments (EDs) remains elusive.MethodsAll ED patient records from the 35-day COVID-19 shutdown (SHUTDOWN) period were retrospectively compared to a calendar-matched control period in 2019 (CTRL) as well as to a pre (PRE)- and post (POST)-shutdown period in an academic Level I Trauma Center in Berlin, Germany. Total patient and orthopedic trauma cases and contacts as well as trauma causes and injury patterns were evaluated during respective periods regarding absolute numbers, incidence rate ratios (IRRs) and risk ratios (RRs).FindingsDaily total patient cases (SHUTDOWN vs. CTRL, 106.94 vs. 167.54) and orthopedic trauma cases (SHUTDOWN vs. CTRL, 30.91 vs. 52.06) decreased during the SHUTDOWN compared to the CTRL period with IRRs of 0.64 and 0.59. While absolute numbers decreased for most trauma causes during the SHUTDOWN period, we observed increased incidence proportions of household injuries and bicycle accidents with RRs of 1.31 and 1.68 respectively. An RR of 2.41 was observed for injuries due to domestic violence. We further recorded increased incidence proportions of acute and regular substance abuse during the SHUTDOWN period with RRs of 1.63 and 3.22, respectively.ConclusionsWhile we observed a relevant decrease in total patient cases, relative proportions of specific trauma causes and injury patterns increased during the COVID-19 shutdown in Berlin, Germany. As government programs offered prompt financial aid during the pandemic to individuals and businesses, additional social support may be considered for vulnerable domestic environments.