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[Epidemiologic and clinical features of childhood falls]
Mehtap Bulut1, Ayhan Korkmaz, Sule Akkose
1Uludag Universitesi Tip FAkultesi Ilk ve Acil Yardim Anabilim Dali, Bursa, Turkey. mehtap@uludag.edu.tr
Insights
Falls are a significant cause of childhood injury, with head trauma being the most common. While rarely fatal, factors like Injury Severity Score (ISS), age, and height are associated with mortality in pediatric fall victims.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Traumatology
- Epidemiology of Childhood Injuries
- Injury Prevention in Children
Context:
- Trauma remains a primary cause of death and disability in children and young adults.
- Falls represent the most frequent mechanism for pediatric injuries.
- Understanding the epidemiology and clinical characteristics of falls is crucial for targeted interventions.
Purpose:
- To investigate the epidemiology and clinical features of falls among children.
- To identify risk factors and patterns associated with pediatric fall injuries.
- To analyze the outcomes and mortality rates related to falls in children.
Summary:
- A retrospective analysis of 1039 children under 14 admitted for fall-related injuries between 1997 and 2001 was conducted.
- Falls accounted for 38% of admissions, with 47% occurring from balconies. Head trauma (57%) was the most prevalent injury, followed by extremity (16%) and abdominal trauma (11%).
- The overall mortality rate was 2.23%, with Injury Severity Score (ISS), age, and height identified as significant predictors of mortality.
Impact:
- This study highlights falls as a major, yet often survivable, cause of pediatric trauma.
- Findings underscore the importance of head trauma prevention and management in pediatric fall cases.
- Identifying key mortality predictors (ISS, age, height) can guide clinical decision-making and resource allocation for high-risk pediatric patients.
Background:
Trauma is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality for childhood and young adults. Falls are the most common mechanism. for injury children. Aim of this study is to determine the epidemiology and clinical features of falls among children.
Methods:
We retrospectively analysed children under 14 years of age sustained from falls admitted to the our emergency service between January 1997- June 2001.
Results:
A total of 1039 children were admitted during the study period. Fa/ls comprised 38% these admissions, and 47% of falls were from balconies.252 patients were male and 141 patients were female. Mean age was 5.23. 62.3 % of children were under the 5 years old. Major injuries included head trauma (57%) extremity trauma ( 16%), and abdominal trauma (11%). Mean ISS score was 9.16 and 32% of children had an, 1SS score was 9,16. Overall mortality rate was 2.23 %.
Conclusion:
Although falls are the significant cause of childhood injury, these injuries are rarely fatal. Most, common type of injury is head trauma. ISS, age, and height are significantly associated with mortality. Key words: Children, trauma,fa/l, epidemiology, mortality.