title: Western Australian emergency department presentations related to child maltreatment and intentional injury: population level study utilising linked health and child protection data.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study is to determine the proportion of child maltreatment-related emergency department (ED) presentations in Western Australia (WA) and describe the type of injuries associated with them. It is also to investigate the proportion of maltreatment-related ED presentations resulting in hospitalisation, the proportion referred to the Department for Child Protection and their outcomes.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a retrospective cohort study of all children aged 0-17 years residing in WA from 2001 to 2005 who had an ED presentation recorded in the ED Data Collection. This study used de-identified administrative data linked across the Departments of Health and Child Protection.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Only 0.03% of ED presentations were identified as maltreatment related and 0.2% for all intentional injury presentations. One in five children with maltreatment-related ED presentations was admitted to hospital and a similar proportion had a notification to Department for Child Protection and 87% of these subsequently substantiated.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study showed that there are limitations with ED data for child maltreatment surveillance in WA and raises concerns that there may be missed opportunities for identifying maltreatment and for referring families for further assessment and support. Recommendations are provided to improve maltreatment surveillance and ED data, particularly for the identification of external causes of injury.
authors: Telethon Institute for Child Health Research, Centre for Child Health Research, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia. melissao@ichr.uwa.edu.au
authors: Melissa
authors: M
authors: O'Donnell
authors: Natasha
authors: N
authors: Nassar
authors: Peter
authors: P
authors: Jacoby
authors: Fiona
authors: F
authors: Stanley
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000639:trends*; D002669:Child Welfare / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016728:Self-Injurious Behavior / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014904:Western Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology*