title: Global childhood unintentional injury surveillance in four cities in developing countries: a pilot study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the frequency and nature of childhood injuries and to explore the risk factors for such injuries in low-income countries by using emergency department (ED) surveillance data.
  
  
  METHODS
  This pilot study represents the initial phase of a multi-country global childhood unintentional injury surveillance (GCUIS) project and was based on a sequential sample of children < 11 years of age of either gender who presented to selected EDs in Bangladesh, Colombia, Egypt and Pakistan over a 3-4 month period, which varied for each site, in 2007.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 1559 injured children across all sites, 1010 (65%) were male; 941 (60%) were aged >or= 5 years, 32 (2%) were < 1 year old. Injuries were especially frequent (34%) during the morning hours. They occurred in and around the home in 56% of the cases, outside while children played in 63% and during trips in 11%. Of all the injuries observed, 913 (56%) involved falls; 350 (22%), road traffic injuries; 210 (13%), burns; 66 (4%), poisoning; and 20 (1%), near drowning or drowning. Falls occurred most often from stairs or ladders; road traffic injuries most often involved pedestrians; the majority of burns were from hot liquids; poisonings typically involved medicines, and most drowning occurred in the home. The mean injury severity score was highest for near drowning or drowning (11), followed closely by road traffic injuries (10). There were 6 deaths, of which 2 resulted from drowning, 2 from falls and 2 from road traffic injuries.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hospitals in low-income countries bear a substantial burden of childhood injuries, and systematic surveillance is required to identify the epidemiological distribution of such injuries and understand their risk factors. Methodological standardization for surveillance across countries makes it possible to draw international comparisons and identify common issues.
authors: Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA. ahyder@jhsph.edu
authors: Adnan A
authors: AA
authors: Hyder
authors: David E
authors: DE
authors: Sugerman
authors: Prasanthi
authors: P
authors: Puvanachandra
authors: Junaid
authors: J
authors: Razzak
authors: Hesham
authors: H
authors: El-Sayed
authors: Andres
authors: A
authors: Isaza
authors: Fazlur
authors: F
authors: Rahman
authors: Margie
authors: M
authors: Peden
mesh_terms: D000059:Accidents / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003906:Developing Countries; D005260:Female; D014943:Global Health; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D010865:Pilot Projects; D014504:Urban Health; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology*