Abstract
Objectives
The aim of this study is to measure the magnitude and describe morbidity pattern, management, and outcome of non-traffic unintentional injuries among a pediatric age group at a tertiary hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Materials and Methods
This is a retrospective descriptive cross-sectional study conducted at Emergency Department (ED) of King Abdul-Aziz Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, including all pediatric patients aged 0 to 14 years who had non-traffic unintentional injuries and admitted to the ED from January 1, 2016, to December 31, 2017. The number of children included for the specified period was 491 patients.
Results
A total of 491 patients were included over the study period; the majority were males (64%). The most common injury types were fractures, dislocations, and subluxations (47.3%) followed by penetration injuries (21%) and burn injuries (17.5%). The most involved body site was the upper limbs (45.2%) followed by head and neck (24.2%) and lower limbs (17.3%). Fall was the leading mechanism of injuries (47.7%) followed by hot liquids and chemical exposure (14.5%). Most of the cases resulted in no significant disabilities (40%), 21.6% resulted in short-term disability, 24.2% had long-term disability, and 12.8% had permanent disabilities. There were six cases (1.2%) of mortality.
Conclusions
Non-traffic unintentional pediatric injuries arc common with significant morbidity and complications, and most of them are preventable. More efforts are needed to increase public awareness and to implement preventive measures at households and public places.