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Paediatric injury in Beirut: a multicentre retrospective chart review study
Samar Al-Hajj1, Abdel-Badih Ariss2, Rana Bachir1,2
1American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon.
Insights
Paediatric injuries in Beirut are primarily caused by falls, with a small percentage requiring hospital admission. Abdominal, upper/lower extremity injuries, fractures, and concussions significantly increase admission risk.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Childhood injuries represent a significant public health concern in Lebanon.
- Understanding the epidemiology of paediatric trauma is crucial for developing effective prevention strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the epidemiology of paediatric injuries in Beirut.
- To identify characteristics, risk factors, and outcomes of paediatric injuries.
- To inform targeted injury prevention initiatives.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective study analyzed medical charts of children aged 0-15 years.
- Data were collected from five hospital emergency departments in Beirut over a 1-year period.
- Descriptive, bivariate, and logistic regression analyses were performed.
Main Results:
- 1142 paediatric injury cases were reviewed; falls were the leading cause (45.2%).
- Hospital admission occurred in 4.1% of cases.
- Factors associated with admission included abdominal/extremity injuries, fractures, concussions, and organ system injuries.
Conclusions:
- Paediatric injury is a major health issue in Lebanon.
- Targeted parental education and age-specific prevention strategies are needed.
- Interventions can mitigate the burden of child injuries and enhance child safety.
Objective:
This study aims to assess the epidemiology of paediatric injury in Beirut, giving insights into their characteristics, contributing risk factors and outcomes.
Design And Setting:
A retrospective study was conducted to review medical charts for children aged 0-15 years presented to five hospital emergency departments (ED) located in Beirut over a 1-year period (June 2017-May 2018).
Participants:
A total of 1142 trauma-related visits for children under 15 years of age were included. A descriptive analysis and a bivariate analysis were performed to investigate admitted and treated/discharged patients.
Primary Outcome:
A logistic regression was conducted to identify factors associated with hospital admission among injured children.
Results:
A total of 1142 cases of paediatric injury ED cases were sampled, mean age was 7.7±4.35 years. Children aged 0-5 years accounted for more than one-third of the total cases, 40.0% (206/516) of the fall injuries and 60.1% (220/366) of home injuries. The leading cause of paediatric injury was fall (45.2%), nearly 4.1% of the cases were admitted to hospitals. Factors associated with admission included injury to abdomen (OR=8.25 (CI 1.11 to 61.24)), to upper extremity (OR=5.79 (CI 2.04 to 16.49)), to lower extremity (OR=5.55 (95% CI 2.02 to 15.20) and other insurance type (OR=8.33 (CI 2.19 to 31.67)). The three types of injuries mostly associated with hospital admission were fracture (OR=13.55 (CI 4.77 to 38.44)), concussion (OR=13.60 (CI 2.83 to 65.41)) and organ system injury (OR=31.63 (CI 3.45 to 290.11)).
Conclusions:
Injury remains a major health problem among the paediatric population in Lebanon. Parental child safety educational programmes and age-targeted injury prevention strategies should be initiated and implemented to mitigate the burden of child injuries and improve child safety and well-being.
