title: Urban paediatric trauma due to stab wounds: an Israeli hospital experience.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the incidence and types of stab wounds to hospitalized children and adolescents.
  
  
  METHODS
  The sample consisted of patients, age 6-18 years, who were admitted to our hospital with sustained injury between 1991 and 2007.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In total, 83 patients were admitted as a result of penetrating (n = 51) and superficial (n = 32) injuries. Eighty-two were hospitalized, and one was declared dead upon arrival. Only 11 patients were hospitalized during the 1991-2000 period, and 71 during the 2001-2007 period. Ten patients were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU); 23 patients were operated (hospital mortality = 0). Evacuation time (time from injury to hospital) was 10 min (mean time; maximum 35 min).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study found higher rates of hospitalization compared with those over a decade ago. These rates reflect not only changes in hospitalization trends and/or population growth in the hospital area but also an increase of urban violence. Israeli hospitalization system deals with paediatric trauma effectively, being well trained because of permanent terrorist activity.
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Assaf HaRofeh Medical Center affiliated to the Sakler Medical School, Tel-Aviv University, Zerifin, Israel.
authors.forename: Ibrahim
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Abu-Kishk
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vaiman
authors.forename: Gidon
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Eshel
authors.forename: Gad
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lotan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D017677:Age Distribution; D002648:Child; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends*; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007557:Israel / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013898:Thoracic Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014754:Violence / Q000639:trends; D014951:Wounds, Stab / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology*