Accidental injuries among children in north-west Ethiopia.
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.
Gedlu
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Department of Paediatrics, Gondar College of Medical Sciences, Ethiopia.
D000059:Accidents / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005002:Ethiopia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology