title: Evaluation of playground injuries based on ICD, E codes, international classification of external cause of injury codes (ICECI), and abbreviated injury scale coding systems.
abstract: The survey is aimed to describe the epidemiology of playground related injuries in Singapore based on the ICD-9, AIS/ ISS and PTS scoring systems, and mechanisms and causes of such injuries according to E codes and ICECI codes. A cross-sectional questionnaire survey examined children (< 16 years old), who sought treatment for or died of unintentional injuries in the ED of three hospitals, two primary care centers and the sole Forensic Medicine Department of Singapore. A data dictionary was compiled using guidelines from CDC/WHO. The ISS, AIS and PTS, ICD-9, ICECI v1 and E codes were used to describe the details of the injuries. 19,094 childhood injuries were recorded in the database, of which 1617 were playground injuries (8.5%). The injured children (mean age=6.8 years, SD 2.9 years) were predo-minantly male (M:F ratio = 1.71:1). Falls were the most frequent in-juries (70.7%) using ICECI. 25.0% of injuries involved radial and ulnar fractures (ICD-9 code). 99.4% of these injuries were minor, with PTS scores of 9-12. Children aged 6-10 years, were prone to upper limb injuries (71.1%) based on AIS. The use of international coding systems in injury surveillance facilitated standardisation of description and comparison of playground injuries.
authors.affiliation: SingHealth Polyclinics, Singapore. Tan.Ngiap.Chuan@singhealth.com.sg
authors.forename: N C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ang
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Heng
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: H B
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Wong
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005568:Forms and Records Control / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D038801:International Classification of Diseases; D007391:International Cooperation; D008297:Male; D010988:Play and Playthings; D012846:Singapore; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000145:classification* / Q000209:etiology*