Pediatric trauma in southwestern Ontario: linking data with injury prevention initiatives
Tanya Charyk Stewart1, Kathrine Grant, Ram Singh
1Trauma Program, London Health Sciences Centre, Ontario, Canada. tanya.charyk@ihsc.on.ca
Insights
Pediatric trauma in SW Ontario is a significant issue, with falls being the most common cause of emergency room visits and hospital admissions. Data-supported injury prevention programs are crucial for reducing childhood injuries and fatalities.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
- Trauma Surgery
Background:
- Pediatric trauma presents a significant public health concern in Southwestern Ontario.
- Existing injury prevention (IP) initiatives require data-driven evaluation to assess their effectiveness.
Purpose of the Study:
- To epidemiologically describe pediatric trauma in Southwestern Ontario.
- To link injury prevention initiatives with predominant injury mechanisms.
- To determine if IP programs are supported by empirical data.
Main Methods:
- A descriptive analysis of pediatric trauma cases (1999-2000) was conducted using multiple datasets, including the Ontario Trauma Registry and National Ambulatory Care Reporting System (NACRS).
- Data were stratified across five pediatric age groups.
- Information on injury prevention initiatives was collected via internet searches and surveys.
Main Results:
- The study identified 13,197 emergency room visits, 1,616 hospital admissions, 70 severe trauma cases, and 47 deaths among children and youth in SW Ontario.
- Falls were the leading cause of emergency room visits (37%) and hospital admissions (26%).
- Motor vehicle collisions (MVCs) were a significant mechanism for severe trauma cases (71%) and deaths (53%).
- Out of 61 identified pediatric IP programs, 84% were supported by data and aligned with prevalent injury mechanisms.
Conclusions:
- Childhood injury and death remain a serious problem in Southwestern Ontario.
- Data analysis can identify modifiable risk factors for developing targeted IP strategies.
- Integration and linkage of IP programs are necessary for comprehensive injury prevention coverage.
Background:
Our objective was to provide an epidemiologic description of pediatric trauma in SW Ontario using multiple data sets. Injury prevention (IP) initiatives were linked with predominant injury mechanisms to determine whether IP programs were supported by data.
Methods:
Descriptive analysis was undertaken for five pediatric age groups (<1 year, 1-4 years, 5-9 years, 10-14 years, 15-19 years) using the Ontario Trauma Registry's Death Data Set, Comprehensive Data Set (Lead Trauma Hospitals [LTH] patients), and Minimal Data Set (hospital admissions), 1999-2000, for all pediatric patients residing in SW Ontario. National Ambulatory Care Reporting System (NACRS) data from the Children's Hospital of Western Ontario/London Health Sciences Centre were used to capture the Emergency Room (ER) injury data. Information on IP initiatives for children and youth was gathered through an Internet search, supplemented by a survey.
Results:
Injury in SW Ontario resulted in 13,197 ER visits, 1,616 hospital admissions, 70 severe trauma (ISS > 12) cases treated at a LTH and 47 deaths to children and youth. More males than females were injured, with the sex differential more pronounced as age increased. Falls were the leading mechanism for ER visits (37%) and hospital admissions (26%). Recreational injuries represented approximately 30% of injuries to the 10-14 yr age group. As ISS increased, MVCs emerged as an important mechanism, representing 71% of LTH cases and 53% of pediatric injury deaths in SW Ontario. There were 61 pediatric IP programs identified in SW Ontario. Eighty-four percent of programs (51/61) were supported by data, and were related to one of the predominant injury mechanisms.
Conclusions:
Injury is a serious problem for children in SW Ontario. Data can be used to identify modifiable risk factors to develop and implement new IP initiatives with the goal of reducing childhood injury and death. There is a need to integrate and link IP programs in SW Ontario for full coverage of all injury mechanisms.
