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Accidental injuries among children in north-west Ethiopia
1Department of Paediatrics, Gondar College of Medical Sciences, Ethiopia.
Insights
Unintentional childhood injuries, including firearms and falls, led to significant hospital admissions in Ethiopia. Foreign body aspiration and burns had the highest fatality rates, highlighting critical areas for intervention.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Public Health
- Trauma Surgery
Background:
- Unintentional injuries are a significant cause of childhood morbidity and mortality globally.
- Data on the epidemiology of childhood injuries in resource-limited settings like Ethiopia are scarce.
- Understanding injury patterns is crucial for developing effective prevention strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the patterns and outcomes of unintentional injuries among children admitted to a teaching hospital in north-western Ethiopia.
- To identify the primary causes and associated risk factors for childhood injuries in the study region.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective analysis of hospital admission data for unintentional injuries in children was performed over a five-year period (1988-1993).
- Data on demographics, injury causes, injury severity (e.g., body surface area affected by burns), and case fatality rates were collected and analyzed.
Main Results:
- Unintentional injuries constituted 4.8% of all pediatric admissions (341 out of 7055).
- The leading causes of injury were firearms (25%), falls (22%), burns (16%), and motor vehicle accidents (14%).
- Highest case fatality rates were observed for foreign body aspiration (40%), burns (35%), and falls (22%).
Conclusions:
- Firearms, falls, and burns represent major causes of serious childhood injury in this Ethiopian region.
- The high fatality rates associated with specific injuries underscore the need for targeted prevention and management programs.
- This study provides the first epidemiological data on childhood injuries from the Gondar area, informing future public health initiatives.
Abstract:
A retrospective analysis of admissions due to unintentional injuries in children was conducted over a five year period (1988-1993) in a teaching hospital in north-western Ethiopia. Injuries accounted for 341 (4.8%) of 7055 admissions due to all causes in this period. Of 313 children whose data were analysed, 228 (63%) were male. The causes of injury were firearms (25%), falls (22%), burns (16%) and motor vehicle accidents (14%). Highest case fatality rates were found in foreign body aspiration (40%), burns (35%) and falls (22%). Most children who presented with burns had more than 15% body surface area affected on admission. Poisoning accounted for 6.8% of admissions and was mostly due to malathion. Animal related injuries accounted for less than 3% of the unintentional injury admissions. This is the first report on childhood injuries from the Gondar area.