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The Pattern and Characteristics of Childhood Unintentional Injuries in Abha Maternity and Children Hospital, KSA:
Ihab Mohammed Ibrahim Elsorogy1, Niemat Mohammed Tahir Ali2, Alam Eldin Musa Mustafa2,3
1Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Abha Maternity and Children Hospital, Abha, Saudi Arabia.
Insights
Unintentional injuries, particularly road traffic accidents (RTAs), are a major cause of hospitalization for children in Saudi Arabia. Head and brain injuries are the most common severe outcomes, highlighting the need for improved safety measures.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Trauma Research
- Public Health Surveillance
- Injury Prevention Science
Background:
- Unintentional injuries pose a significant public health challenge for children in Saudi Arabia.
- Severe injuries are a leading cause of hospitalization and long-term impairments in pediatric populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To delineate the epidemiological patterns of unintentional trauma in children admitted to a major hospital in Saudi Arabia's southern region.
- To identify the primary causes and types of severe injuries affecting children.
Main Methods:
- A prospective, descriptive, cross-sectional, hospital-based study was conducted over one year.
- Data were collected from 104 children (aged 0-12 years) admitted with unintentional injuries.
- Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS to identify injury patterns and associations.
Main Results:
- Road traffic accidents (RTAs) were the predominant cause of injury (63.5%), followed by falls (36.5%).
- Head and brain injuries were the most frequent severe injuries (35.6%), often leading to prolonged pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) stays.
- Males constituted a higher proportion (66.3%) of injured children.
Conclusions:
- RTAs are a critical cause of pediatric morbidity and mortality in Saudi Arabia.
- A significant association was found between PICU admission duration and patient outcomes (P=.02).
- Enhanced community education, stricter traffic laws, and enforcement are crucial for mitigating RTA-related childhood injuries.
Background:
In Saudi Arabia, unintentional injuries among children represent a prevalent and significant public health issue and severe injuries are of the leading indications for hospitalization and impairments.
Objective:
This study aimed to describe the pattern of unintentional trauma in children admitted to Abha Maternal and Children Hospital, South region of Saudi Arabia.
Methods:
This study was a prospective descriptive, cross-sectional, hospital-based study, which was conducted in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Maternity and Children's Hospital, Abha, Aseer region, Saudi Arabia. This is the central and main hospital in the region but not the only hospital receiving childhood injuries. The study period was from January 2023 to January 2024. Children's age groups were from 0 to 12 years old. All children in the study were admitted with a diagnosis of unintentional injuries, like RTAs (road traffic accidents), falls, and other home accidents. The study included 104 children and the data collected were analyzed using SPSS (version 27; IBM Corp). Appropriate statistical tests were used for the analysis and all tests were two tailed and probability P≤.05 is considered significant.
Results:
The sample size of the study was 104 children. The gender distribution was 35 females (33.7 %) and 69 males (66.3 %). The patients were recruited from 18 cities in the Aseer region. About half of the patients (49%) were aged 6-12 years. Road traffic accidents (RTA) represent the highest percentage of accidents, with 66 (63.5%) children, followed by falls from height with 38 (36.5%) patients. The most significant types of injuries were head and brain injuries 37 (35.6%), followed by chest and lung injuries 12 (11.5%). Most patients (n=62, 59.6%) remained admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) for one to three days. Followed by three to seven days (27), then eight to 14 days (14). Head/brain axonal injury is also the most common injury associated with complications, followed by polytrauma.
Conclusions:
Road traffic accidents are a significant cause of death and disability in Saudi Arabia for all age groups. A strong association existed between the PICU admission duration and the outcome (P=.02). Health and community institutes and governments should increase community education about the risks and consequences of RTA, strengthen traffic rules and laws, and punish violators.
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