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Trauma deaths in children: a preliminary report
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Childhood trauma data, in developing countries, requires updating to highlight problems in childhood trauma care. This study was done to examine childhood trauma deaths in the Accident and Emergency room (A and E).
Methods: A prospective trauma analysis of children aged 15 years and below attending the surgical A and E was done from September 1999 to August 2000. Data collected included age (0-4 years, >4-9 years, >9-15 years), sex, causes of trauma, injury-arrival time, the quality and outcome of care and the circumstances of death.
Results: Out of 543 children seen, 327 were boys and 216 were girls. Most of the children were in the age group >9-15 years (215, 39.6 %). Trauma occurred in 391 children (72.0 %) due to road traffic accidents (RTA, 169 children, 31.1 %), falls (75, 13.8 %), burns and scalds (37, 6.8 %), other domestic accidents (35, 6.5 %), foreign body (FB) in the orifices (37, 6.8 %), assaults (20, 3.7 %), occupational injuries (10, 1.8 %) and gunshot injuries (8, 1.5 %). There were seven deaths (mortality 1.3 %); three each from burns (38 %-60 % burns, 2 of whom reported 1-2 weeks after burns) and pedestrian RTA (all with head injury, 2 of whom had other injuries) while one child had airway obstruction from a FB. All the deaths were on day 1 of admission.
Conclusion: Trauma is the commonest surgical problem seen in childhood in the A and E and largely preventable. Children have good outcome from trauma with low mortality, but this can be further decreased. Evidence from the preventable nature of the deaths presents strong arguments in favour of better organization of trauma care and reinforcing public health education especially concerning care of children of working parents.
Key words: Trauma deaths, children
Nig. J. of Surgical Research Vol.4(3-4) 2002: 98-102
Methods: A prospective trauma analysis of children aged 15 years and below attending the surgical A and E was done from September 1999 to August 2000. Data collected included age (0-4 years, >4-9 years, >9-15 years), sex, causes of trauma, injury-arrival time, the quality and outcome of care and the circumstances of death.
Results: Out of 543 children seen, 327 were boys and 216 were girls. Most of the children were in the age group >9-15 years (215, 39.6 %). Trauma occurred in 391 children (72.0 %) due to road traffic accidents (RTA, 169 children, 31.1 %), falls (75, 13.8 %), burns and scalds (37, 6.8 %), other domestic accidents (35, 6.5 %), foreign body (FB) in the orifices (37, 6.8 %), assaults (20, 3.7 %), occupational injuries (10, 1.8 %) and gunshot injuries (8, 1.5 %). There were seven deaths (mortality 1.3 %); three each from burns (38 %-60 % burns, 2 of whom reported 1-2 weeks after burns) and pedestrian RTA (all with head injury, 2 of whom had other injuries) while one child had airway obstruction from a FB. All the deaths were on day 1 of admission.
Conclusion: Trauma is the commonest surgical problem seen in childhood in the A and E and largely preventable. Children have good outcome from trauma with low mortality, but this can be further decreased. Evidence from the preventable nature of the deaths presents strong arguments in favour of better organization of trauma care and reinforcing public health education especially concerning care of children of working parents.
Key words: Trauma deaths, children
Nig. J. of Surgical Research Vol.4(3-4) 2002: 98-102
