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Childhood injuries: a population‐based study of emergency room visits in Jerusalem
Author(s) -
Gofin Rosa,
Palti Hava,
Adler Bella,
Edet Edet
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
paediatric and perinatal epidemiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.667
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 1365-3016
pISSN - 0269-5022
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-3016.1989.tb00511.x
Subject(s) - medicine , medical emergency , population , emergency medicine , emergency department , environmental health , nursing
Summary. A study of childhood injuries of 0–17‐year‐old Jewish children based on emergency room records of the four major hospitals and the first aid stations was conducted in Jerusalem during 1986. The incidence of visits was 99.7/1000 child‐years with 95% confidence intervals (CI)=98.0–101.5. The rate was 97.2/1000 child‐years (CI=94.4–100.0) among the 0–5‐year‐olds, 114.6/1000 child‐years (CI=111.3–118.0) in the 6–12 age group, and was 93.6/1000 child‐years (CI=90.1–97.1) among 13–17‐year‐olds. The male to female rate ratio was 1.7 for the 0–5‐year‐olds, 2.1 for the 6–12‐year‐olds and 2.3 for the 13–17‐year‐olds. The most frequent causes of injuries were falls, 38.5/1000 child‐years (CI=37.4–39.6), being struck or caught, 21.1/1000 child‐years (CI=20.3–21.9), and road accidents, 5.4/1000 child‐years (CI=5.0–5.8). Only burns among children aged 6 years and over and poisoning among 13–17‐year‐olds showed a higher incidence among females than among males. The head was the most frequently injured part of the body (45.2/1000 child‐years, CI=44.0–46.4). Head injuries decreased as age increased, while injuries to the extremities and trunk increased with increasing age. Two per cent of the injured children were admitted to hospital.