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Short-term health service utilization after a paediatric injury: a population-based study
Ileana Baldi, Francesco Avossa, Ugo Fedeli
1Unit of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Public Health, Department of Cardiac, Thoracic and Vascular Sciences, University of Padova, Via Loredan 18, 35131, Padova, Italy. dario.gregori@unipd.it.
Insights
Injury hospitalization rates in children vary by type, gender, and age. Specific injuries like burns and skull fractures significantly increase hospital stays, highlighting the need for targeted prevention strategies.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Health
- Public Health
- Injury Epidemiology
Background:
- Assessing the health burden of injuries in a pediatric population is crucial for public health.
- Understanding injury patterns in children informs preventive measures and resource allocation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify injury types contributing significantly to the health burden in a North-Eastern Italian pediatric cohort.
- To analyze hospitalization rates and healthcare utilization related to injuries in children.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of hospitalized children (1-13 years) in the Veneto region in 2008 with injury codes.
- Comparison of hospital use in the 12 months post-injury versus the preceding year.
- Calculation of hospitalization rates stratified by gender, age group, and injury type.
Main Results:
- Injury hospitalization rates were highest in males, particularly school-aged children.
- Intracranial injury rates declined with age in females; upper limb fractures increased in school-aged males.
- Burns, skull fractures, and severe injuries were linked to longer hospital stays, averaging 3 days per child.
Conclusions:
- Injury impact on healthcare use differs by gender, age, and injury severity.
- These findings provide insights into a major global public health issue.
- Data supports enhanced planning for injury prevention and healthcare resource allocation.
Background:
The aim of the study is to identify which types of injuries are responsible for a major component of the health burden in a population-based children cohort in North-Eastern Italy.
Methods:
All children (1-13 years) residing in Veneto region, who were hospitalized in 2008 with a International Classification of Diseases, ninth edition, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) code for injury in the first diagnostic field were considered. The outcome was defined as the difference in hospital use in the 12 months following the injury and it was compared to the year preceding the injury occurrence. We computed hospitalization rates by gender, age class and injury type.
Results:
Hospitalization rates for injury are highest in males, especially among school-aged children. Rates for intracranial injury exhibit a more pronounced decline with age in females, whereas a more marked rise in upper limb fracture rates among school-aged males is observed. Overall, 3 days of hospital stay per child are attributable to injury. Burns, skull fracture and a high injury severity are associated with a greater number of additional inpatient days.
Conclusions:
The impact of specific injury types on health services utilization varies with gender, age and severity. These observed patterns contribute to build a clearer picture of this leading global public health problem and deserve more attention in planning preventive strategies and resource allocation.
