Childhood injuries: a population-based study of emergency room visits in Jerusalem.
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-old, 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-old. 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.
Gofin
R
R
Department of Social Medicine, Hadassah Medical Organisation, Jerusalem, Israel.
Palti
H
H
Adler
B
B
Edet
E
E
D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000293:Adolescent; D002056:Burns / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000453:epidemiology; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005121:Extremities / Q000293:injuries; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007557:Israel; D008297:Male; D011041:Poisoning; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology*