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Earthquake-related injuries in the pediatric population: a systematic review
Gabrielle A Jacquet1, Bhakti Hansoti2, Alexander Vu2
1Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Insights
Pediatric earthquake injuries lack uniform classification, hindering data analysis and disaster preparedness. A standardized system is crucial for better understanding and reducing child injuries during seismic events.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Traumatology
- Disaster Medicine
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Children are uniquely vulnerable to injuries.
- Pediatric injury registries are vital for epidemiology and intervention planning.
- A standardized injury classification for pediatric mass casualty events like earthquakes is currently lacking.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review the peer-reviewed literature on earthquake-related injury patterns in children.
- To identify existing data and highlight gaps in the understanding of pediatric earthquake injuries.
Main Methods:
- A comprehensive systematic review of literature from 1950 to 2012 was conducted.
- Searches were performed across major databases including PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library.
- Inclusion criteria focused on English articles with quantitative descriptions of pediatric injuries from earthquakes, excluding other disaster types and specific injury complications.
Main Results:
- Only 10 out of 2037 retrieved articles provided quantitative data on pediatric earthquake injuries.
- All included studies were retrospective, utilized varied age categorizations, and reported injuries inconsistently.
- Injury patterns were described by anatomic location in 7 studies and by type in 5 studies.
Conclusions:
- Heterogeneity in age categorization and injury classification systems impedes the accurate quantification of pediatric earthquake injuries.
- Establishing uniform age and injury classification systems is essential for robust data interpretation.
- Standardization will improve disaster preparedness, reduce morbidity, and decrease mortality in pediatric populations affected by earthquakes.
Background:
Children are a special population, particularly susceptible to injury. Registries for various injury types in the pediatric population are important, not only for epidemiological purposes but also for their implications on intervention programs. Although injury registries already exist, there is no uniform injury classification system for traumatic mass casualty events such as earthquakes.
Objective:
To systematically review peer-reviewed literature on the patterns of earthquake-related injuries in the pediatric population.
Methods:
On May 14, 2012, the authors performed a systematic review of literature from 1950 to 2012 indexed in Pubmed, EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library. Articles written in English, providing a quantitative description of pediatric injuries were included. Articles focusing on other types of disasters, geological, surgical, conceptual, psychological, indirect injuries, injury complications such as wound infections and acute kidney injury, case reports, reviews, and non-English articles were excluded.
Results:
A total of 2037 articles were retrieved, of which only 10 contained quantitative earthquake-related pediatric injury data. All studies were retrospective, had different age categorization, and reported injuries heterogeneously. Only 2 studies reported patterns of injury for all pediatric patients, including patients admitted and discharged. Seven articles described injuries by anatomic location, 5 articles described injuries by type, and 2 articles described injuries using both systems.
Conclusions:
Differences in age categorization of pediatric patients, and in the injury classification system make quantifying the burden of earthquake-related injuries in the pediatric population difficult. A uniform age categorization and injury classification system are paramount for drawing broader conclusions, enhancing disaster preparation for future disasters, and decreasing morbidity and mortality.
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