Accidental childhood injuries and trauma - abstract

ABSTRACT

Paediatric (<15 years of age) admissions for accidental injuries at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Barbados, were studied retrospectively for the period 1982-1991. Notes were retrieved according to the International Classification of Diseases. The objectives of the study were to evaluate the spectrum, incidence and trends of injury occurring during the period. There was a declining trend of admissions, with the most significant decrease in the 1-2-year-olds. The 5-12-year-old group had the most admissions (45 percent), followed by the 1-4-year-olds (37 percent), 13-14 years (13 percent) and <1 year (5 percent). Falls were the most prevalent cause for admission (36 percent), followed by motor vehicle accidents (MVA) (19 percent) and poisoning (14 percent). Poisoning, burns and foreign bodies were the most common in the 1-4-year-old age group. Falls, MVAs, being stuck with an object and machinery-related injuries were the most common in the 5-12-year-old age group. There was an overall decreasing trend in falls, being stuck with objects and poisonings, but there was an increasing trend in burns until 1986, but declining thereafter. There was an initial downward trend in the machinery-related injuries until 1985, but an increase thereafter. Despite the general declining trend in admissions for trauma, preventable trauma from machinery in the 5-12-year-old age group and burns in the 1-4-year-old age group showed no appreciable decrease in incidence (AU)