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Design and Analysis for Fall Detection System Simplification
08:05

Design and Analysis for Fall Detection System Simplification

Published on: April 6, 2020

Unintentional fall injuries among US children: a study based on the National Emergency Department Sample

Duane Wang1, Weiyan Zhao, Krista Wheeler

  • 1The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, USA.

International Journal of Injury Control and Safety Promotion
|February 8, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Childhood falls result in over 2.3 million emergency department (ED) visits annually in the US. Understanding injury patterns can guide targeted prevention strategies for pediatric fall injuries.

Area of Science:

  • Public Health
  • Pediatrics
  • Injury Prevention

Background:

  • Childhood falls represent a significant public health concern in high-income countries.
  • Previous studies have limited insight into national patterns and causes of pediatric fall injuries.
  • Emergency departments (EDs) manage a substantial burden of fall-related injuries among children.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To describe the national patterns and aetiologies of childhood falls in the United States.
  • To identify age and gender-specific injury trends from fall-related emergency department visits.
  • To inform the development of age-specific prevention interventions for pediatric falls.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective analysis of national data from the 2007 Nationwide Emergency Department Sample (NEDS).
  • Utilized sample weights for national estimations of pediatric fall-related emergency department visits.
  • Examined age patterns in the bodily location of injury for hospitalized cases.

Main Results:

  • Estimated over 2.3 million pediatric fall-related ED visits in 2007, a rate of 3217 per 100,000 children.
  • Over 95% of children treated for fall injuries were released from the ED.
  • Significant age-related patterns were observed in the bodily location of injuries among hospitalized children.

Conclusions:

  • Fall-related injuries impose a substantial impact on US emergency departments within the pediatric population.
  • National ED data reveals age and gender patterns in pediatric fall injuries previously underestimated.
  • Identified injury patterns can guide the development of targeted, age-specific prevention interventions for childhood falls.

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